Sadly Saving a Pound.

I saw a beggar sitting outside the entrance to a supermarket today. He held out his pot to each person walking past, and each person continued walking, as they do. I was no exception, and then I got to thinking again (as I do.)

It occurred to me that the problem with being a destitute person reduced to begging on the street is not only the combination of poverty, hunger and injured pride, but also the sting of rejection every time you hold out your bowl to another human being and that human being ignores you. And then, in this particular instance, a well fed person in posh clothes comes out and moves you on because you’re upsetting the customers who want to spend money in their store. It further occurred to me that if every person who is not destitute gave the equivalent of £1 a week to someone who is, there would be less suffering in the world.

I took a pound coin out of my pocket and went back to where he’d been sitting, but the well fed person in posh clothes had evidently got there before me.