He walked past me, half-naked; his entire body covered with the by-product of the city’s never-ending quest for progress.
He is by all estimate still young, probably in his early thirties. And yet, he walks as if he carries the burden of the world on his back.
Homeless and desperately in need of nourishment, he wanders aimlessly like a raft lost in a sea of humanity who, by far and large, takes little notice of the man dressed in grease and soot.
What unfortunate circumstances made him that way I wondered… how could someone born in this world full of possibilities turn into what many would regard as the dreg of modern society?
Looking at him I realized that despite all my problems, perceived or otherwise, I can still count myself as fortunate; and that my setbacks, though too many to count, were mere inconveniences — minor actually — compared to his own plight.
How stupid of me to be ranting about my woes, I thought, when I could have ended up like this guy, or even worse…
So, taking pity on the man — coupled with the noble intention of feeding a downtrodden individual for at least one day — I fished out a few bills from of my wallet when suddenly, I noticed, he stopped walking…
He looked around, and perhaps finding the perfect place to rest his weary legs, he nonchalantly took out a crumpled pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his dirty, well-worn shorts and lighted up.
And there he sat, on the sidewalk… deep in his own thoughts and with nary a care in the world, he puffed away happily.
I promptly returned the peso bills in my wallet and walked away…
I’ll be darned if I’m gonna help feed his vices.
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