A Mile in HIS Mocassins

I honestly think my faith in humanity is waning. I like to see the good in every person, including those who look most sinister. Some call it naivety, but my role on this Earth is not to judge. The reason being, I don’t know that person’s story. I don’t know if they have had a bad day, or if life has handed them a particularly bad hand. However, what I do know is that I always try to help those in need without judgment.

This is not the case for everyone, and I get it there are a lot of people in this world, who will do what he or she can get away with. Particularly when it comes to panhandling. So people are less inclined to donate, or help out their fellow man in the fear that they’re being ‘swindled’.

Terribly enough, Chicago is an epicenter for homelessness. With many thousands of homeless people occupying our streets every night. These are people without a bed, change of clothes, proper shoes, or even proper outerwear for the harsh winter reality. Seeing homeless people, it is tough for us to even fathom, not having a warm place to lay our heads, however this is the reality for many people in one of the most popular cities in America.

This is the case for the life of Ronald Davis. I was extremely touched by his story as told on YouTube a couple of weeks ago. In the short series, Ronald reveals he is homeless and living on the streets of the city. He depends solely on the generosity of others to live. Shaking a cup on one of the city’s streets Mr. Davis is subject to the weather conditions, and the startling cruelty of humanity. People heckle him on a daily basis or ignore his presence altogether. As a human being, place yourself in Mr. Davis’ shoes. Regardless of the history behind how he ended up on the streets, he is still a human being, who deserves to be treated as such. I do not see how people can just walk right past someone who is crying out for help. A person who clearly is down and out, and just wants a little change to eat that day. Yet, I see it everyday. People who ignore the homeless or preach at them about finding a job, or doing something with their lives. Nothing boils my blood more than these people. You never know that person’s tale of how they ended up on the wrong side of a happy story, nor do you really know how far you are from being in their shoes.

Life can be changed completely in an instant; It is terribly unpredictable. However, one thing you can bet your money on is no matter what walk of life a person is from, they expect to be treated with respect. It is simply human nature. So next time you see a homeless person, reply at least; wish them well, or give the pocket change you’ll completely forget about ever having. Since Ronald’s story went viral, there has been an outpouring of support and people helping him to get off the streets. I only hope this will get the ball rolling on the decrease of the homeless population in Chicago. My faith in humanity? We’ll see.