Beggars - take 2

(note: having technical difficulties with story. This is the correct version - sorry for repeat)

This is a subject not easy to talk about and certainly, most do not want to listen. But if you want to travel anywhere, you will find them everywhere - the beggar. Of course in the states we also have this person but certainly not as poor as what I've seen here. Well what I should say is it's all relative, isn't it?

Country to country I've seen these people sitting on street corners in the mud, filth, walking - no, better yet, hobbling at you focused at heart to get your attention no matter what the risk. Children - some of them walking right at you full-well intending to walk into you with eye contact. The worse yet are those that are severely handicapped, deformed, bandaged hands with blood showing through, missing toes, limbs or some missing all limbs and/or lost all sense of reality. And I know I haven't even seen the worse yet in countries such as Cambodia, Viet Nam, etc. Some of these people's suffering goes beyond what we can see. Some have lost their families, their homes. Some lost their country.

How do you react when you come across these poor, helpless individuals? Do you even have the heart to look at them, feel their pain, smile, speak to them? I didn't - until recently. I was reading a Buddhism book by Edward Conze (sp?) which made me think a bit more about handling poor people. I thought it was interesting how he pointed out that even though we try to filter or ignore situations like this, we still observe some shame associated with it for not acknowledging the person, even if at a subconscious level. I'll save you the full explanation (especially since I ended up loosing the book) but after this and talking to another traveller from Michigan, and listening to his thoughts on it, I decided that the least I could do is acknowledge their presence in addition to contributing to charities. (Money is not recommended as it contributes to them begging by reinforcing their goal - this is yet another topic.)

With most of these people, they still manage to smile. I didn't notice this until I started smiling back - they smile and look happy. Even the poor people working hard and carrying heavy loads, they smile too. They look so happy to me. No watch. No cell phone ringing crazy ringtones. No car or bike. Barely a hay or grass roof over their heads and enough food to make it through winter. But they still smile and help you if you need it.

It's interesting to watch other foreigners pass them by, straining to look the other way and never make eye contact hoping that lower being will think they didn't see them - despite their efforts of calling out, singing "Namaste" or "hello, hello, hello". That must feel terrible.

For those that have no roof or family, what is a solution? Outside of charity organizations, I don't know but what I can say and feel is that if I were in their shoes it would make me feel even worse seeing able-walking people passing me by suddenly looking the other way after viewing my poor state hoping I won't notice that they saw me. Just a smile, nod and acknowledgement would make me feel more like a person. After contemplating this, I feel a little better in hopes that this may help. No filter, just compassion.