I have always said that one can say or do whatever one likes as long as one can live with it. Being at peace with oneself is probably up there with good health and happiness in terms of wishes for the near future.
So as usual, in the Christmas rush, I had my adrenaline up with shopping for family, friends, teachers, neighbours, cleaning lady and of course myself - and then after the climax, the low.
Near my house there is this roundabout and there's a beggar who stands there almost everyday with his windscreen cleaner even though the traffic light no longer exists (almost every traffic light in these parts have been or are being transformed into roundabouts) and no car usually stops for more than a minute near him.
In those days when there was still the traffic light, I would give him a coin or 2 now and then. Then when the roundabout came about, like everybody else, it became the mad rush to move forward and keep up with the flow and I never stopped any more.
In the past few days, I kept seeing him in my head. Standing there like an idiot even though he should know that nobody will even notice him now that we no longer have to stop. Every time I neared the roundabout, I would start feeling bad. Hub dismissed the guy as having missed some connection in the brain whenever I mentioned him - like that should settle everything.
This morning, I went to the post office. Drove on the roundabout and started to drive past him. Then I swerved to the side and stopped. Put on my warning lights. He saw me and crossed over immediately. I gave him a coin and wished him Merry Christmas. He wasn't so stupid that he was incapable of feeling happy and grateful. My coin would definitely not help whatever problems he may have in his life. But I hoped it made him feel a little less ignored for a while - and it certainly made me feel better for the rest of the day.
Roundabouts certainly help save electricity and improve the flow of traffic. But we still need to stop and take stock of what's around us once in a while or we would lose ourselves in it like everyone else. That was just my thought for the day.
Merry Christmas everyone and may you have a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year in 2009!
Joeyeux Noel a toute ta famille ... yes i have an English keyboard, so no accents.
RépondreSupprimerI know who you mean. I also feel sad everytime I see him. However I am with your hub, the guy must have one neurone.
I am glad you stopped for him.
Bon Noel
Merry Christmas.
RépondreSupprimerYou did the right thing. It's not how much we give, but the fact that he felt noticed by someone at the roundabout. All humans need that little attention to have hope.