Today as I walked down a path I have walked many times
before, I did something different. I
smiled at the homeless man with his dog.
I smiled and he smiled back….
I have seen him many times over the years and always chosen
to avoid eye contact or his requests for money.
Walked on by, not giving him a second thought.
Today I could not forget this man and his dog. I do not know their story or why they sit by
the riverside begging for money. I
wondered if he has friends or family, somewhere to lay his head at night. Does he have a happy past, previously lived
in a house with food and warmth, with a radio and a television?
Does he want me to give him money so that he can buy alcohol
or drugs? Will he use the begging money
to feed him and his dog? Or is he saving
up to buy a new guitar…..
He does not look a sad man, but why does he choose to sit by
the riverside each and every day, strumming notes from his little guitar?
Today I was on my way to Fat Face
to buy a replacement bracelet for my favourite one that broke yesterday and is
beyond repair. It has pretty little
flowers on it and was the one “girly” thing I wear most days.
I could not get the old man out of my mind and I wanted to do something that I believed would help him. Instead of going to Fat Face, I headed towards the nearest supermarket with a plan.
I was going to buy him and his dog food to the value of the bracelet I has planned on replacing. As I wandered around the shop I felt a mixture of emotion. I was excited about what I could buy him and also worried that he might not like what I chose, or may have an allergy or intolerance. I opted for some straightforward items that would not perish within a few hours. I got some dog food as well, hoping that his dog did not have the stomach of a Siberian Husky….
I could not get the old man out of my mind and I wanted to do something that I believed would help him. Instead of going to Fat Face, I headed towards the nearest supermarket with a plan.
I was going to buy him and his dog food to the value of the bracelet I has planned on replacing. As I wandered around the shop I felt a mixture of emotion. I was excited about what I could buy him and also worried that he might not like what I chose, or may have an allergy or intolerance. I opted for some straightforward items that would not perish within a few hours. I got some dog food as well, hoping that his dog did not have the stomach of a Siberian Husky….
I felt close to tears as I paid for
the items, not because they exceeded my original budget, but tears of happiness
that I truly believed I was doing something good for another person.
I dashed out the shop, suddenly
fearful that he may have wondered away from his usual spot. Sprinting down the town path I slowed as I
recognised his shape on the side.
He smiled again as I placed the
bag of shopping beside him. As I reached
over to stroke his dog, both man and dog looked at me for a split second and
then moved away from me to look inside the bag.
As I walked away I wiped the tears
from my eyes believing that I had made a difference. I had taken time from my busy life to connect
with another human being and try to help in a very small way.
If there is a moral to this story
it is a simple one. Sharing a smile can make
a difference. It can lead to so much
more. It opens the connection to another
being, whether a human being or an animal.
Yesterday I smiled at the donkey in the picture and said hello - he responded by coming over and giving me a "kiss".
You should see what happens when I smile at
huskies….. ;-)
