An old man in tattered clothes was wearily walking along the streets of Katipunan. He was rugged and dirty and seemed homeless. His small son was with him—quietly and innocently sleeping on his back, sandwiched by a worn-out backpack which supposedly functioned as his crib.
The two peacefully entered a quaint local coffee shop. However, instead of looking for an available seat, they began approaching occupied customers in the shop’s patio. The father was presenting a small card, which seemed to be a letter for alms-begging, and was pointing to the kid hanging on his back.
The first customer, a corporate woman busy with some paperwork, upon notice of the poor man, briefly looked at him and instantly replied with an annoyed expression. She frowned and shook her head, motioning for him to leave and letting herself be consumed by her papers again.
Next, the father approached an eccentric student sitting by the nearby table. She was typing something on her laptop and enjoying her music through her enormous headphones. When she noticed the man handing over the small card, she immediately took off her headphones and courteously looked at him. After a few seconds, upon realizing his agenda, she politely said no—waving her hands and wearing an innocent look.
At that moment, a waiter finally noticed the man and quickly approached him. The waiter tapped the man on his shoulder and courteously asked him to leave. However, he kept explaining to the student and even went on to approach a third customer.
The third one was a young professional, also busy tinkering with his laptop. When the man approached him, he eagerly stopped and listened. He conversed with the man for a few minutes, even with the waiter pursuing the man to leave. He seemed to be asking questions and looked concerned with the man’s situation. He might have even given him alms and shook his hand.
A few more minutes, a knock was heard on the café’s front door. One knock. Two knocks. Three knocks. However, not a single soul inside that busy shop took notice. His knocks fell on ears deafened by the noise of bills and luxuries. The frail child hanging on his back wasn’t seen by eyes blinded by poverty and dreams. And their existence wasn’t acknowledged by hearts hardened by life’s difficulties and personal struggles.
That father and son are only two of the countless poor souls calling out to the more fortunate beings for attention. They aren’t involved with any syndicate or aren’t scheming for any theft and fraud but they are similarly ignored and scorned at. They don’t mean any harm, and are just asking for help just as a friend in need does. And yet, they are seen as evil strangers with unknown intentions.
If given a thought, all those people in that coffee shop are no different than the father and son. They are all just trying to survive and trying to perform their responsibilities to other people. It just happens that they are fortunate enough to wear decent clothes and to be sipping warm coffee.
Why then is it so difficult to heed to a stranger’s call for help when everyone is no different from him/her—struggling to survive life and looking for someone to help?
Still saying cheers for coffee shops and realizations and confusion!
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