I feel like every once in a while, I have to do something to sort of prove that I am not jaded. Prove it to myself, that is. I have no idea if other people think that I am jaded.
I have become very good at saying no to beggars and homeless people, even if it's a lady with a baby. I hate it when the rose seller ladies come up to me, saying that they'll give me a free rose, but if I take it, then they put a hand on their belly and say that they need 5 euros, and it's for the "baby". It's from the whole idea that you shouldn't give money to beggars, because the money may not even be going to them. And even if they get the money, it will often be used for drugs or alcohol, or something unwholesome, rather than food.
So when a man came up to me and asked for money for food, I told him no. However, we were across from a little cafe, and I'd been debating getting some food there anyway. I've been meaning to try it, and it just didn't happen. So I told him that he could go over there with me, and I'd buy him some food.
He said no. He said he didn't like the food there. So I told him that it was too bad, and if he was hungry, he'd eat wherever.
He seemed like he was going to walk away, then asked if I would buy him a danish and milk at the cafe. I told him I would, and we walked over there. He ordered what he wanted, and I got the same pastry, and a cappuccino. He didn't want to stick around and chat, but took his food and juice (they ended up not having milk), and left after thanking me profusely.
It wasn't much. Less than $3 for both of us (I'm gonna have to go back there when I'm back in Athens. Good food, and cheaper than a lot of places), and a super easy thing to do. But it still would have been easier to leave it at "No" when he asked me to give him money in the first place, instead of inviting him to get food with me. Did I change his life? Probably not. He wasn't starving, and we didn't have a meaningful conversation as he didn't really want to talk and his english wasn't great. But did I do something good, and was it something I felt like I should do? Yeah, definitely.
So maybe I've not simply grown used to human suffering. Maybe I am being intelligent when I refuse to give money to beggars, rather than being lazy or cheap. Maybe I'm not completely jaded yet...
I have become very good at saying no to beggars and homeless people, even if it's a lady with a baby. I hate it when the rose seller ladies come up to me, saying that they'll give me a free rose, but if I take it, then they put a hand on their belly and say that they need 5 euros, and it's for the "baby". It's from the whole idea that you shouldn't give money to beggars, because the money may not even be going to them. And even if they get the money, it will often be used for drugs or alcohol, or something unwholesome, rather than food.
So when a man came up to me and asked for money for food, I told him no. However, we were across from a little cafe, and I'd been debating getting some food there anyway. I've been meaning to try it, and it just didn't happen. So I told him that he could go over there with me, and I'd buy him some food.
He seemed like he was going to walk away, then asked if I would buy him a danish and milk at the cafe. I told him I would, and we walked over there. He ordered what he wanted, and I got the same pastry, and a cappuccino. He didn't want to stick around and chat, but took his food and juice (they ended up not having milk), and left after thanking me profusely.
It wasn't much. Less than $3 for both of us (I'm gonna have to go back there when I'm back in Athens. Good food, and cheaper than a lot of places), and a super easy thing to do. But it still would have been easier to leave it at "No" when he asked me to give him money in the first place, instead of inviting him to get food with me. Did I change his life? Probably not. He wasn't starving, and we didn't have a meaningful conversation as he didn't really want to talk and his english wasn't great. But did I do something good, and was it something I felt like I should do? Yeah, definitely.
So maybe I've not simply grown used to human suffering. Maybe I am being intelligent when I refuse to give money to beggars, rather than being lazy or cheap. Maybe I'm not completely jaded yet...
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