1.28.2016

begging, the question

 To walk down the streets of any city is to be assailed with need. "Help me." "I'm hungry." "I'm homeless." "I can't afford my meds." "I can't support my family." Most of the time, we walk past, thinking, "I have my own financial problems." "He will just buy drugs or alcohol with the money." "Why can't our society find a way to take care of crazy people?" "This is not my job." "A quarter is not going to make a difference." "I give to charities for the homeless already."
And yet. These people, these desperate people, these young people, these old people, these poor people, these crazy people, these people on the edges. These people we walk past. They breathe and cry and love. They need us. Maybe we need them, too, to remind us that we are one people. #therebutforfortune

2 comments:

Kate Knapp Artist Blog said...

anytime I give anything to anyone on the streets they always say "bless you"... this is a profound gift to me...did you buy one of these burros from the girl with the baby?

Claudia said...

I didn't buy the burro. I asked her if I could take her picture, and she said yes. And then I gave her some money and she said thank you and smiled.