Bolder Action (BA):
A favor for nothing
What led you to do this action?
Palo Alto has its fair share of panhandlers and I'm never quite sure what the best thing to do is, so I usually end up smiling and just walking past, and then feeling guilty and embarrassed, like I should have done something different. I walked past a man on the sidewalk outside the grocery store and realized that one way to figure out something to do to help him out would be to just ask him. Seems pretty obvious, looking back on it, that if you ask someone a question, they'll probably have an answer. It was raining, and he said he'd like a hot chocolate, so I got him one. It wasn't that big a deal, just a hot chocolate on a rainy day. It was a great reminder that it doesn't take a whole lot to help people out, and that asking the right question can get you a good answer.
Are you still doing this action?
In various ways, yes. Not always hot chocolate, obviously. But I stop and chat, sometimes buy a snack or a drink, and generally try to recognize that no matter what situation people are in, they appreciate a smile and a conversation. It's easy to get callous but it feels much better to take the time, think a little, and connect with people.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
If you're interested, you should read "Under the Overpass" - it's about a guy just out of college who decided to live as a homeless person for five months in five different cities. His purpose was to explore whether his faith held up without his normal comforts but most of the book is stories of what he experienced and the relationships he made, which are really interesting. One thing I took away was that at the least, just simply acknowledging their presence on the street and saying hello makes a difference.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion, Emilee. That sounds great! I'm glad to hear that saying hello does make a difference.
ReplyDelete