Strangers on a Train

I had an interesting conversation with a guy on the train the other night. He started chatting to me, asking if I was a student, where I was headed, etc. He was homeless and had a cart with him with all his things on it. Most of the homeless guys I've talked to have been unbalanced mentally and a little unsettling to be around. This guy was very with it though, very articulate and intelligent. He told me about the computer class he's taking at the library, and the car accident that shattered his hip (after which he lost his job and could no longer keep up with his rent payments). He told me he got robbed at three separate homeless shelters, so now he prefers to sleep on the street - even through the winter. He had some donuts with him that he was going to give to the two guys who sleep on benches near him - he said they are both mentally ill and can't take care of themselves, so he tries to look out for them and make sure they have some food each night. I felt, as I always do around someone less fortunate than I am, embarrassed by the differences in our circumstances. He didn't ask for money or even sympathy, just talked to me to pass the time on the train, and at his stop wished me goodnight and said "God bless you." I felt afterwards that I should have given him something. $20 is probably worth a lot more to someone who sleeps on a bench than it's worth to me.

Reminds me of Tracy Chapman's song "Why" - you know the one. "Why do the babies starve?/There's enough food to feed the world..." It's a distribution problem, of course. But it's more than that. At the heart of it I think is a human tendency, no matter how rich or successful we are (and thus able to give), to think in the back of our minds that other people need to earn things. Even essentials like food and clothing. Even when circumstances made it impossible for someone to "earn" the same way we did. Even when, given a slight twist of fate, we could be the ones asking. It's humbling to think about.