I lived purposefully on the streets for two years of my life, and during that time I met hundreds of homeless folks — all of them to a degree “dirty” or “crazy” or “lazy” or “addicted” or “lost”; just like me at the time … just like all of us today.

And — just like me at the time … and all of us today … AND each & every homeless person any of us will ever encounter in the future — they were all human beings … people … Good People. Each and every one of them had a unique story to tell, and each & every one of them had every right to be given Compassion over callousness, and Joy over judgment.

You will see them today as you are out & about, and when you do you might be tempted to look upon them with scorn or disgust … You might be tempted to pass them by … You might be tempted to turn away instead of offering a smile and some Kindness.

Fair enough.

And yet know that if you do so … it will not only be their loss.

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures.” ~ Albert Einstein

Filed under: Wisdoms from the Journey by Scaughdt