yesterday morning, i was heading home by train from my friend's place. surprisingly, bandra station was almost deserted for 8am, with no line for the tickets at all
i headed to the nearest counter, and dug in my pocket for change for the fare.
a beggar sitting below the window begged for a coin or two.
i shrugged him off.
and then dropped a coin, almost into his outstretched palm.
he offered to return it.
i shook my head. he kept it, expressionless.
my initial rationalization (at the moment i agreed to let him keep the coin) was that it was probably his luck or fate that caused me to drop the coin, so he kinda deserved it.
but then i realized that i also felt bad about taking money from a beggar.
as i walked away, i also felt i had been somehow disrespectful towards the beggar. it's one thing to give someone a coin (however misplaced the charity may be, as i believe, when it comes to beggars), but it's another to drop it on the ground and have him pick it up.
it felt as if i grudged the beggar his 1 buck.
i just don't know, i still can't think of anything i could have done, or any way to rationalize my course of action.
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2 comments:
It's easy. The experience taught you something.
Respect people irrespective of their status.
haha...i follow that! but how do you do it in this situation? what reaction could be construed as respectful?
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