The following is a true story that happened to me a few weeks before Christmas.
I got on the Number 1 train Uptown after having a horrific experience at Trader Joes. I was feeling over sensitive and not sure what was next. I just had a confrontation with a Caribbean sister that epitomized the word "bitch" to a whole new level. Not one to get into confrontations this one came as a surprise. I was wallowing to the bus driver, who happened to be female, as to why is there so much " Black on Black" crime and animosity between Black women? I kept replaying the story in my head over and over again, occupying all my time, getting angrier and angrier and not really understanding. I finally just accepted that this too was a part of life. I switched to the express Number 2 train at 42nd street with my groceries from Trader's. As I sat down I noticed a very large black garbage bag filled to the brim with all I can describe as junk and various junk strewn all over the length of a whole row of subways seats. This bum was dressed in full bum attire. His clothes were tattered, he had a swollen foot, he was missing a shoe that was replaced by a large bandage covered with a dirty white sock. You get the picture a bum completely down on his luck and probably on life. He had various pieces of paper and garbage including half empty Snapple bottles laying on the seats. Everyone on the train had distanced themselves from him as he appeared to be cleaning up but in reality he was just picking it up and then slamming it back down on the seat. I watched him as the train was parked in Times Square station and not moving. Something inside me said "Help him". So I got up, took a deep breath and walked over to him. I said "Sir, Do you need any help?" He ignored me at first. I repeated myself. He looked at me with a mouth full of rotten teeth and said in a loud whiny voice "YA GOTTA DOLLA?" "YA GOT A DOLLA". I could tell this was an automatic response for him so I said "No Sir, I wanted to know if you needed help putting the junk on the seat into your big garbage bag?"
He paused and then said " No thank you" I sat back down and continued to wait for the train to pull off. The bum started cleaning up all the papers on the train and put everything in the large black garbage bag. Within this time period an elderly Asian woman came and sat on the newly cleaned set of subway seats in front of me. All of a sudden the bum says to me "That was very nice of you earlier, Thank you, Thank you and handed me a quarter" Out of shock I said "NO, NO, NO no thank you!!" He took the quarter threw it into my grocery bag so I couldn't give it back to him and walked out of the train. The train doors closed and the train proceeded to move. By this point everyone on the train was looking at me, I was kind of embarrassed that a bum gave ME a quarter and not the other way around. My pride and ego where busting out and I felt like a fool. At that precise moment, almost like something out of a book, I eloquently heard the Asian women say to me.."It is only Human Nature to want to GIVE, That is the key to TRUE HAPPINESS". A sea of emotions came over me and I burst into tears. The women clutched her heart, closed her eyes and allowed me to cry. As I walked off the train a few stops later I thanked her and merely said "I GOT IT"
I will never forget that magic quarter because it taught me that even a homeless person down on his luck can see the power in human spirit and compassion and wanted nothing more than to repay it the best way he knew how. I will never forget the quote "IT IS HUMAN NATURE TO WANT TO GIVE, THAT IS THE KEY TO TRUE HAPPINESS..and I will continue to spread love and compassion to others because that is how I GIVE.
Here's to an amazing 2010.. I wish you all the gifts life has to offer :)
Love,
Me
