the kindness of strangers

I was running some errands this afternoon. A young man with a cardboard sign was sitting on the pavement outside Shopper's Drug Mart. His sign read: Student. Hungry & Embarrassed. A camouflaged bucket hat lay before him for donations. As I passed him again, I noticed another man had stopped to ask if he wanted something to eat. He asked the "student" to pack his stuff and come with him. They walked behind us and the would-be benefactor asked the man about himself and what he did. He went to school and was a dishwasher at Denny's. The man took the student to a Subway restaurant (and I use that term loosely) which is where our paths diverged.

Living in the city, I tend to be cynical about panhandling. I also am very skeptical when matters such as poverty or pregnancy are overtly used as a means to solicit money. As a socially conscious person, this creates much dissonance for me. I understand the structural roots and functions of poverty. I know that many of those living in poverty are also working just to maintain their poverty level. This angers me to no end. We are living in one of the wealthiest nations in the world. No one should be without.

Nonetheless, I also know that many folks who panhandle do so because of substance and other abuse issues and do not want to offer money to feed potentially deadly habits. I also have read recently some explanations of the whole gutter punk culture and find it somewhat problematic. I have been aggressively panhandled and known people who have been physically assaulted when they've denied someone some "spare change". Here, I recognize that mental health issues are often significant factors in forcing folks to live on the street. Yet, I still struggle with the whole matter of giving or not giving.

Although I have given money to panhandlers before, I am generally reluctant to do so. I have occasionally purchased some food or water and passed it along, but really no more than that. However, what this man did for the hungry and embarrassed kid was quite remarkable. It was not so much that he was going to buy him something to eat, but the fact that he afforded this kid some dignity. He took the time to learn about this person who was so publicly and abashedly asking for help. It reminded me of a humanity that I like to believe lurks inside all of us. I was humbled by what he did. He is an example to all of us of how we can be and do better. For that, I honour this unknown man and thank him for reminding me that there some very good people in this world.