Five dollars for humanity

Uncomfortable with beggars coming up to you when you’re having a meal or merely passing by along the road? Yes, I know. Most of us, myself included, would readily turn a blind eye and scurry along the way before anyone could even make an attempt to say “please”.

At the back of our minds, we’ll go “it’s all a syndicate and it’s better to give your dollar to a legitimate charity organization” while some others would have it as “we must not encourage this as it’s quite a lucrative business for them (to beg)”.

But let’s be real. How many will actually take the effort and time to make regular or even irregular contributions to any charitable organization? It’ll be another “I’ll have to scrutinize” the organisation’s accounts first because…”

The truth is, we aren’t the least interested to help out anyone else but ourselves.

Having said that, I am often troubled by the Biblical words that some who help the poor are not even aware that they are helping angels in disguise. Ouch, that hurts! Yes, vivid thoughts of how that’s going to hurt my pocket more than my humanitarian self (haha… like there’s one!) start flowing and my waking hours become nightmares.

So, if you’re anything like me, what do you do?

Well, I now make it a point to have at least one five dollar note in my wallet at all times, the price of a meal, reserved for anyone begging for a little handout. Now, I know it’s not a whole lot of money, but at least it’ll get me started on being a little kinder without having to question the world and God for an explanation for everything.

Now come on. How much a difference does it make to your life to give away five, 10 or even 50 bucks to the occasional beggar or homeless chap that can ill afford to live, much less work? If we really want to, we can force ourselves to be a little more charitable. After all, we don’t come across scores or hordes of beggars everyday or even every week.

Heck, we spend more than that everyday just for parking or toll charges. And while that same amount may not mean much to you, it sure means the world to someone who needs it for his/her next meal. Seriously folk, who in their right mind would want to beg for a living if he/she can help it? You’ll have to tear out all of your self-dignity and whatever little honour you have left to do that.

So, please… let’s just be a little kinder. Your five dollar is what’s standing between a meal and another day of starvation for someone else.