It is a Friday mornig and that is reason enough to make me feel upbeat. As usual, on my way to work, the lady at the trafficc light aproaches me and offers a package of sweets in exchange of some coins. I always make a point of giving her some cash. She must be in her sixites and ever since I have been driving to work I always see her at the same traffic light, a busy junction halfway to work. She is always there, patiently offering her products to sleepy and mostly uninterested drivers. Someone told me once that each of them has an allocated traffic light so there is no competition issues among the many people who make their living in the streets of São Paulo.
She always wears flip-flop sandals, even in the coldest winter mornings. Sometimes she uses an old scarf which tucked around her neck and up to her nose protects her not only against the cold but also against the many fumes coming from the exhaust pipes of the trucks that fill the Bandeirantes Avenue at any time of the day. As I gently refuse to accept her merchandise after I have given her some money she opens her eyes and rolls them up in amaze while raising both arms as if to thank God and the Holy Heaven. She also mutters some words to wish me well. On every occasion that this ritual takes place I do feel content but cannot help to feel embarrassed at the same time and always end up flushing and looking away and checking through the rearview mirror if the other drives are paying attention to us.
It is difficult not to feel condescending. The first times I gave her some money I did not have the courage to refuse the packs of sweets as I did not want to make her feel like a beggar instead of a merchant. But the sad fact is I do not like those sweets and they end up cluttering my car until I finally decide to give them away.
When I leave home I always keep some coins aside to give away at the different stops by the traffic lights. São Paulo has hundreds of people of all ages whose survival depends only of charity. You might argue that giving money to beggars in the street only increases the problem and that If you really want to help the needed you can contribute by giving money every month to a charity of your choice. Well, that too used to be my argument for never stopping and looking away. Until one day I realized that I was just not helping anyone otherwise. I am too lazy to get into all that trouble and subscribe to a charity of my choice. Besides, I always regarded with most suspicion all those non-governmental charities and non-profit fund-raining organizations with well paid board directors whose only purpose seems to be to organize flashy events and gala diners. Of course this is only an excuse for being selfish and a lazy bastard as not all of them should be put in the same category. I am sure there are still good people out there meaning well. Somewhere.
She always wears flip-flop sandals, even in the coldest winter mornings. Sometimes she uses an old scarf which tucked around her neck and up to her nose protects her not only against the cold but also against the many fumes coming from the exhaust pipes of the trucks that fill the Bandeirantes Avenue at any time of the day. As I gently refuse to accept her merchandise after I have given her some money she opens her eyes and rolls them up in amaze while raising both arms as if to thank God and the Holy Heaven. She also mutters some words to wish me well. On every occasion that this ritual takes place I do feel content but cannot help to feel embarrassed at the same time and always end up flushing and looking away and checking through the rearview mirror if the other drives are paying attention to us.
It is difficult not to feel condescending. The first times I gave her some money I did not have the courage to refuse the packs of sweets as I did not want to make her feel like a beggar instead of a merchant. But the sad fact is I do not like those sweets and they end up cluttering my car until I finally decide to give them away.
When I leave home I always keep some coins aside to give away at the different stops by the traffic lights. São Paulo has hundreds of people of all ages whose survival depends only of charity. You might argue that giving money to beggars in the street only increases the problem and that If you really want to help the needed you can contribute by giving money every month to a charity of your choice. Well, that too used to be my argument for never stopping and looking away. Until one day I realized that I was just not helping anyone otherwise. I am too lazy to get into all that trouble and subscribe to a charity of my choice. Besides, I always regarded with most suspicion all those non-governmental charities and non-profit fund-raining organizations with well paid board directors whose only purpose seems to be to organize flashy events and gala diners. Of course this is only an excuse for being selfish and a lazy bastard as not all of them should be put in the same category. I am sure there are still good people out there meaning well. Somewhere.
Anyway, helping the needed in order to create a a more fair society is an important mitzvah for both observant and non-observant Jews, so I really should make the effort to try and reach out. Maybe one day I will evolve enough and do something really useful. Until that day, I try and handle my bad conscience by giving money. Especially to the old lady at the traffic light. Like the adverts of that discount supermarket say, Every Little Helps. Or at least, so I hope.
remind me of the time when I was there.
ResponderExcluirsomehow a lot of people will act like a blind man when they see poverty on the stree, this including me most of time. well, yes, I can blame it on my jobless post-student lifestyle, but deep down I know it doesn't change the fact that it's an act of ignorance...