The experience of my eyes...

I was driving on a back road Monday morning around 7:40am, completely taking for granted the nice car I drive and the air condition blowing cold air in my face. I was taking for granted that I have family and friends, a wonderful husband, and my youth. I was taking for granted that I have a job, and even though things are hard sometimes, make my bills. I realized all this in a period of about 2 seconds. I saw something that made me sad. What I saw made me sad for many reasons, and it made me really think about the world we live in. This is the experience of my eyes…

I was driving down the road, enjoying a new CD and hoping I made it to work on time, when I saw him; he was about 80+ yrs old. He was standing by the side of the road with a cane in one hand, and the other held away from his body in the position that some people would give the thumbs up sign. Only he wasn't giving the thumbs up sign, he was trying to catch a ride. He looked so frail, and gaunt. In the 2 seconds it took for my car to pass him, I saw more about this individual than I probably see of myself every morning in the mirror. He is alone, he has no one, and he has nothing. I watched him for as long as I could, even to look back in the rear view mirror. After our line of cars passed, with no one offering a ride, he started feebly walking the scorching, uneven asphalt. This is the point at which I realized how awful this world can really be.

I started thinking that it wasn't fair that I couldn't offer him a ride. I was angry that when I thought about the idea, I had this grotesque scene run through my head of this little old man turning vicious and bludgeoning me to death with his aluminum cane. But, I also realized that in today's world it could happen. This is what made me sad. It is a sad day when we can't help strangers in need for fear of being killed or robbed. It is sad that the innocent suffer because of this.

I even tried to justify my thoughts by thinking horrible thoughts about this man. "He's probably a drunk… I'll bet he beat his kids, and that's why they aren't around…." But this only made me feel worse. Why do we automatically assume that someone is in a bad situation because they did something to deserve it? Why are we so jaded?

I just wanted to cry for this old man. I don't care what his story is, I just know that he needed help and there was no one to give it. I hope he made it where he was going.