Over the summer months, there were a variety of things I wanted to post but never quite got around to it. I can’t even count how many times I’ve commented to a friend about a “post that never quite made it”. They are still things I think about from time to time, so maybe I’ll finally get around to writing about them now.
One of those things is about the beggers in London. Here in Houston, beggers are not always kind. I’ve seen them turn down food – I guess money is better? I’ve seen the man at the corner by the mall who hides his artifical leg so that he can beg on crutches, an added ploy for sympathy. I’ve seen a lot of negative things.
In London, the beggers are polite. I don’t mean in a mildly polite way, grunting acknowledgement at you – oh, no. They actually say please and politely thank you – with a sir or a ma’am – and bid you a good day. I found it interesting, probably because when you stop and think about it, if you are begging, you should be grateful for the kindness of strangers. I wonder what it says about our own society. Do we feel a sense of entitlement? Like we deserve something more, so gratitude is not needed?
I was reminded of the beggers in London while viewing Mike Golding’s photograph of one. I didn’t feel the awkward silence with the beggers of London like I feel in the US. I knew they would thank me even if I said no, and that made me more likely to say yes to helping them out.
