posted on Mar, 4 2013 @ 01:59 AM
I think there is a fight to be fought for a better world but that fight won't be fought by soldiers. It will be fought by anyone who sees the need
for such a fight and will be fought in places like ATS. It will be fought in the mind and hearts of people everywhere and then taken out into daily
life in the way we deal with each other.
A couple of nights ago at work, I was standing outside smoking a cigarette at about 4 AM. It was bitter cold in Toronto, at least -10 degrees Celsius,
probably colder.
I looked down the driveway of the building where I work and saw a darkly clad, diminutive "bag lady" pushing a shopping cart loaded with her stuff
down the sidewalk, on the other side of the street about 100 yards from me. She was what I would call a "battleship bag lady". She had a lot of
baggage on the cart. She was moving fast.
I sighed. I felt compassion for her, cold and alone in the dark of the Canadian winter, pushing her junk down the street. I turned away grimly, but
then I thought, "I should give her some money." I thought I had twenty dollars in my pocket.
I felt in my pocket and could feel the money there. Yes, it was twenty dollars.
I looked back at the bag lady, who was moving fast, and I took off running, in her direction. I ran across Bloor St. and jumped up on the snowbank,
crunching over it, landing on the sidewalk and rushing up to her with the twenty in my hand.
She was startled and said, "Get away from me." She didn't stop pushing her cart.
I waved the twenty in front of her and said, "Here!"
Scornfully, she said, "I don't want it. Leave me alone!"
I just said, "OK." and turned to scurry back to the warmth of my job across the street. I was freezing in my jacket and tie and just wanted to get
back in out of the cold.
She rolled on.
I was a little annoyed with her, but after a while I just shrugged. It was her life. Telling me to "get lost" was probably worth more than twenty
dollars to her.
Bottom line. When freedom becomes important to people, they will do what they need to do to get it, no matter what the cost in comfort.