So said my friend as we walked by an overweight street musician crying in the street last evening, surrounded by a few folks putting money in her box.
On my daily runs for the past year, I pass by a very large woman who plays clarinet in her chair on the sidewalk. One night last week, I walked by this gal with a friend, plus my friend's 10 year-old niece.
We three got about 15 feet past her, and suddenly we heard someone burst into tears. I turned and saw the woman just crying her heart out, right in the street.
We all walked back, and asked her what the matter was.
"It's just so hard out here, I work so hard to play and I can't pay my rent…I was just evicted and my husband and I don't know what to do…One man gave a dollar and then took it back…" and she just cried. She said her name was Nancy.
We all felt terrible for her, so we gave her $25. Until then, I'd put $1-2 in her hat from time to time. Since then, everytime I've passed her I've put in $5.
Last evening, my friend and I again walked by her. This time she was crying loudly again, with a few people around giving her extra money.
"Geez," I said to my friend, "do you think something else bad happened to her today?"
"I don't know," said my friend, "maybe she's found a new way to get some extra money from people who walk by."
"Duh," I said, thinking how slow-witted I was.
"Well," said my friend, "at least she doesn't have to maim her kid." (see for reference: http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=6408 )
To explain, that's something my friend had personally witnessed in Turkey 20 years ago, and which she had related to me not a week before these events…
Shall we count our blessings?
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