The man on the street...
Illustration
The man on the street asking for money was easy to ignore. He was not attractive. He
was not clean. He was not pushy or obnoxious. He was just there day after day after
day.
People passed him by as if he were invisible. In fact, to most people he was invisible because to see him would be to acknowledge that he needed help ... help that almost anyone passing by could have offered.
Dan was new to city life. He grew up in a small town in Iowa. He went to college and got a good job that had brought him to the city. Dan noticed the man of the street his first day walking to work, but he couldn't stop. He had to get to work and make a good impression on his first day. Besides, no one else was stopping.
As the weeks went by, Dan could not get this man out of his mind. One day he left half an hour early for work. He bought a cup of coffee and a couple of doughnuts and brought them to the man and actually stopped and talked with him for a few minutes. That was the beginning of a real friendship. Dan conversed with the man every day. He learned his story and how he had ended up on the street. Dan also learned what the man really needed, which was not money as much as someone to believe in him and encourage him. Dan did that and helped him find a job and an apartment.
Dan's friends thought he was wasting his time on a nobody. Dan knew better and realized that he was being helped as much as he was helping.
People passed him by as if he were invisible. In fact, to most people he was invisible because to see him would be to acknowledge that he needed help ... help that almost anyone passing by could have offered.
Dan was new to city life. He grew up in a small town in Iowa. He went to college and got a good job that had brought him to the city. Dan noticed the man of the street his first day walking to work, but he couldn't stop. He had to get to work and make a good impression on his first day. Besides, no one else was stopping.
As the weeks went by, Dan could not get this man out of his mind. One day he left half an hour early for work. He bought a cup of coffee and a couple of doughnuts and brought them to the man and actually stopped and talked with him for a few minutes. That was the beginning of a real friendship. Dan conversed with the man every day. He learned his story and how he had ended up on the street. Dan also learned what the man really needed, which was not money as much as someone to believe in him and encourage him. Dan did that and helped him find a job and an apartment.
Dan's friends thought he was wasting his time on a nobody. Dan knew better and realized that he was being helped as much as he was helping.
