An Act of Kindness to One is an Act of Kindness to All.
I met a homeless man named Alan a few weeks ago in Reston Town Center, VA. He carried a newspaper with him and showed me the article that he was reading – which is posted here – as we talked. It was evident that it meant something to him. I remember him talking about how it was nice to know there are people out there who care.
I had read the article he carried with him before. It was inspiring and a genuine act of kindness. I have read updates on the story since then that state the homeless man in the picture is now shoeless once again, which is disheartening to hear.
Maybe he hid the shoes that he was given as he claims. Maybe they were stolen. Maybe he sold them to use the money for whatever else. In the end it doesn’t matter. I know that this story made a difference to one homeless man who was not mentioned in the article.
Sometimes we don’t know what the effects of our actions will be. Sometimes we wonder if any of what we do actually makes a difference. And sometimes we need to tell the cynical voice in our head to shut the hell up so we can proceed with giving a damn.
Here’s to a better 2013 for us all.