I'm tired of Donald Trump. I don't want to talk about him, I don't want to hear him, see him, watch cable news. This is not about him at all.
This is about us.
When I was in second grade our teacher told us in catechism class the we all had an angel and a devil watching over us. They were constantly fighting over who would most influence our behaviour. The devil always seemed to win, but when the angel wins, something wonderful happens.
How many of us have walked past the homeless standing in front of the market, under the "L" tracks, in front of the liquor store in every city in America? we duck our heads as we pass them and then get mad because we despise them for making us feel ashamed. They're dirty, they smell, they're aggressive, blah, blah, blah.
One day about a year ago, I was walking my dog down a quiet residential street. As I approached the little corner store across from a popular cafe and organic market, I saw a man standing there and knew right away what was coming. When he asked if I could spare something, I stopped and apologized for not having any cash and told him he should carry a credit card swipe, he laughed. We stood there and chatted for a few minutes then I told him I had to get going. Again I apologized for not having any cash and he said
That's okay at least you stopped to talk to me
Was that so hard? I ask you this, every once in awhile, can you stop, give him or her a five or a ten dollar bill? It won't kill you. A woman selling Streetwise (a newspaper written by homeless in Chicago) once told me that a person coming out of the market gave her three pennies.
If you have a tale about your better angel will you share it here?
The following is a link to an editorial in the Chicago Sun Times about a (flawed) woman who did something so amazing that she was called "Super Girl" and then,
chicago.suntimes.com/…
Happy New Year and thanks for reading