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I often find it a little saddening the way the homeless are considered. People will walk by a guy sitting on the pavement in raggedy clothes, probably has missing teeth, asking them for some change. We sneer, we turn our nose up. We could never be like that! I would go get cleaned up and get a job! Oh really? It's that easy? Next time ask yourself this - if I were born to his parents, if I was brought up as he was, if I had his level of education, and his lack of health care, would I really just go get a job? Could I really just pick myself up like that?

People think the I they identify with is their true self. It's not. It's part of the movie show that you are watching. It's just that you have only ever seen one movie. Lucky for you if it's the one with a nice family, good school and rewarding job, and not the one with abusive parents or a broken home or no money for school. The fact is, if you walk by, with your health, with your wealth, and your smarts, and can't do a thing for him, how on Earth can he help himself with none of those things? If you were him, maybe you'd have less teeth! Maybe you'd be even more drunk!

Today a guy asked me for money for a drink. I generally avoid giving money, since I don't want it to go to waste on fueling a drug addiction, or even a terrible, malnourished McMeal of some sort! So I said I'd buy him a drink. He leveled with me and said he was actually trying to get some food. So I told him my treat, lunch is on me (it's 4 pm). So I walked down the street with him, shooting the breeze, and you know what I really like about the homeless? They have fucking manners! "Thank you very much for buying me lunch." And he really meant it. True sincerity. Most of the other entitled assholes in this city are upset if you don't clear the sidewalk for them. Anyway, we get to a decent looking diner. The guys protests - "it's too expensive, I think there's a McDonald's around the corner". And they're humble! Poor guy is so shot down he is not worthy of a five dollar sandwich? He deserves better than McDonalds, that's for damn sure! The diner doesn't do take out, so we go inside, and I ask for a table for my friend, order his food and ask to pay for him. You can see the level of discomfort on the staff faces, standing around like malfunctioning dinerdroids on the fritz. Like the world will fall apart? Maintaining appearances is more important than helping a person in need? Just so you know, he wasn't particularly disheveled, he was clean, not smelly or abusive, he just wasn't like us - just a poor man who wants a sandwich and a drink, with no idea when he'll be able to eat next. But they seated him, I went to pay. I gave the waitress a generous tip, and asked her to look after my friend. With a big smile, I looked at her genuinely, no pride, no shame, no pretension, no judgment, one human spirit to another. She stopped for a breif moment, understood, relaxed, and then smiled back. Again genuinely, perhaps even buoyantly.

In our 'me' driven society, we always forget about compassion. Remember compassion, and remember what you really are, and what you aren't. There is very little difference between you and the homeless guy. You just rented a better movie! Perhaps you can even write your own movie, and write yourself in as the hero! Can you?

People talk about social change, so, change society. It can be simple, it can be small, you don't necessarily have to start up a soup kitchen (but good on you if you do!) Just give a beggar a break!