As I was walking home on the bridge across the Chicago River, I stopped about halfway. Turned around, dug in my pockets and gave the $2 to the homeless guy who’s always sitting on a crate, begging for change. I used to say that I’d give change to anyone who asked, as long as I had it. Working downtown for a few months now, I’ve stopped doing that. It’s impossible to give money every single time, and as a result – you have to pick and choose when you decide to do so. After a while, deciding not to give money became the norm.
For some reason, today I thought about how I used to give people change. And to be honest, I never really did it out of sheer altruisim – it was always an act of thanks, a way to acknowledge my luck to the universe. There but for the grace of god.
Since I had the good fortune to encounter $2, it only felt right to pass that good fortune along to someone who needed it more.
