Dare to Care

Don’t pick up hitch-hikers, they will rob you and kill you. . . . Mind your own business, That is the proper thing to do. . . . Keep your nose out of other people’s business. . . . Beggars are all wealthier than you are, they pretend to be poor and then drive home to their mansion in a luxury car. . . . Beggars are always con-artists trying to cheat you and rob you, and on top of that, they are probably drug addicts.

Have you ever been approached by someone shady-looking, . . . someone that made you feel uncomfortable, . . . someone who brought fear to your mind? It was a cool spring Saturday morning when I was leaving the Eastwood Mall in Niles, Ohio. I had made a small purchase at the shopping center, and I had a package in one hand and some change in the other. I was going to put the coins in the cup holder of my car, as my custom is, so that it was always ready if needed.

I didn’t notice, but two people were about thirty feet away from me and heading towards the shopping center. They must have been watching me as I jingled the change in my hand. The boy was probably in his early twenties, and the girl walking with him was about the same age. She walked a few steps past me, and the boy stopped me and asked me if I had any change that I would give him so that he could buy some gasoline for his car.

Startled, I looked at the boy, and then the girl standing a few feet away. They were very thin, and wearing clothing that hadn’t been laundered recently. Part of my journey to make myself and my world a better place is to be alert for any stranger that I might be able to bump in a positive way with a smile, a good word, or anything else that I had and they needed. Without a word, I quickly stuffed the change into my pocket.

I pulled out my wallet and removed a couple of bills that would have purchased a fine meal at a good restaurant, and silently handed the money to the young boy. I was starting to walk away, when the boy stopped me. I looked at him, and then at the girl standing a few feet away, and saw that they were both crying. The boy asked if he could hug me. I reached out and we hugged for a moment. The girl asked me if I realized that they could do much more than put some gas in their car with this money.

I didn’t expect this at all, and my shy personality caused me to smile awkwardly, mumble a quiet “don’t mention it,” and quickly walk away. I think about them often. I’ve watched for these two people every time I go to the mall, but have never seen them again.

This story, produced by the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, begins as a Sunday morning church service is ending. As the good church people are leaving, a man is run over by a speeding convertible in front of the church. A wealthy young lady on her way to the country club for a morning of golf has run over a stranger in town. He is lying unconscious on the street, possibly dying. What happens next is exactly what you would do if you found yourself in this situation. Pop a big bowl of white kernel popcorn with plenty of warm melted butter drizzled over it and enjoy the show.