Comments on: Giving thanks

By: shannon

shannon — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 16:32:10 +0000

I’ve been thinking more about this and it touches on how I feel about giving cash to strangers on the street.

This may sound really crazy to some people, but I don’t care if the homeless person I give my money to spends it on drugs or alcohol. I care for the person’s health, and so sometimes, I used to give food to those people (if they were outside a store front as I was going in, for example, I’d buy them something and give it on the way out). But if I have decided to give a dollar to someone on the street, that’s the end of the decision. It’s that person’s dollar now, and it’s up to them how to spend it.

Sometimes, people with bad addictions can even die from the symptoms of withdrawal. So sometimes, they really do need something right away. Once this happened: a man collapsed on a sidewalk in front of a friend and me. He seemed to be having a dangerous attack of some kind. We stopped and asked if there was something specific he needed (maybe medication in his pocket?) and he said he needed five dollars. We called 911, asked for an ambulance and gave him the five dollars. Once we explained the situation to the medics, they hung up. No one ever came for him. He managed to get up and get where he needed to go with the five dollars.

I have no regrets whatever. If the medics were not going to to come and help him, I’m glad we did–in whatever way was needed right at the moment.

By: Bacchus

Bacchus — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 00:22:04 +0000

I wish you had been in my class today. We are discussing wealth and poverty distribution and democracy. Can we be a truly democratic society with such divisions in wealth and opportunity? Today we talked about the concepts of poor and the “deserving poor” and the “undeserving poor”. Whether there was truly such a thing as “undeserving”. As an older student it was wonderful to see these youngsters debate this issue. With so many different opinions I gave my insights as best I could, but you have an amazing way of stating things.

Thank you for giving us gifts of self discovery.

By: gillysmama

gillysmama — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 21:24:42 +0000

Thank you so much. You always have such insightful things to say. I’ve been reading you several times a day for the past few weeks, ever since I discovered you.

By: halloweenlover

halloweenlover — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 21:14:41 +0000

Oh Dawn, what a terribly sad story, but a very good reminder of how we should treat others. Thank you for sharing, as painful as it is to read it. Life really isn’t fair sometimes.

By: chanie

chanie — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 20:28:56 +0000

that’s a very powerful story.

the idea of ‘providing a safe place for that to happen’ and crediting the person who needs help with helping themselves is very interesting. humbling, comforting, and empowering.

humbling because it doesnt give too much undo credit to the person providing help. comforting and empowering in what it says about a person’s ability to turn things around for themselves given the right time and place.