Weekend Observations

Last weekend, we headed into the city for a friend's birthday.  He wanted to go to a club to hear a certain DJ.  It sounded like fun so we all headed in for a fun Saturday night out.

As we got off the train in Penn Station, I first saw that someone had lost a mitten and a scarf.  I felt kind of bad because I know that when you lose one of a set, it totally ruins them.  Then we saw one shoe that was kind of mashed up.  We all giggled about it because how do you lose just one shoe?  Was there a Cinderella running around Penn?

And then I saw that there was this homeless man sleeping on the floor with only one shoe on his foot.  The other shoe was the mashed up one on the ground.  Thankfully it was near him, so that when he woke up, he would see it.

But when I looked around, there were so many people laying or sitting on the ground with what appeared to be their possessions next to them.  It surprised me that there were so many people laying in Penn because I thought that there was a crackdown on them.  It was also so incredibly sad.

I was freezing and tired because I chose to wear an inappropriate outfit for the weather and it was 2am.  These people were essentially living in a train station and perhaps it was the only warm place they could find.

It makes me so sad to see the poverty that we have right here in our own city.  I know that many of these people have put themselves in situations that have led to this.  But that doesn't mean we can't help them anyway.  It's so heartbreaking to me.  I just can't get the images out of my head.

I often have a hard time not giving money to people who ask for handouts on the street.  I always hear Jesus's voice saying "whatever you do for the least of these brothers, you do for me."  My dad and I talked about this and he actually asked our priest about this.  Fr. Mark said that it's okay to say no to someone.  That Jesus does understand that there is bad in the world and we should do our part to help, but we don't have to perpetuate the addiction problems of the world.

I know that sounds weird, but it did make me feel better about having guilt over every beggar on the street.  I think that's why I tend to donate to charities more.  Especially when I know my money is going to truly needy people.

This weekend really opened my eyes.  Part of my new year's resolution is to help those in need.  I am going to try to donate myself to those in need.  I know there is a soup kitchen in my neighborhood and I think it's about time I start helping out there more often.