"I'm Not a Bum..."

Living in New York City, I have encountered many homeless people. I see them on a daily basis, which is not something I am used having grown up in a little rural town in Upstate New York. Everyday I see homeless people on the streets, sleeping on subway benches, sleeping on the steps of churches, jingling their cups and dare I be honest and say, agitating me when I am just trying to get from point A to point B on the subway without having to listen to a speech that ends in asking for money. At one point, I can remember thinking how annoyed I was by these disruptions. I know how saying all this makes me look, and I will followup up by saying I am not a heartless person. I am a "victim, " in the loosest meaning of the word possible, to my surrounding. Seeing these occurrences daily takes a toll on you. It does make me sad, but it also makes you immune. What I mean by this is, seeing a homeless person multiple times a day became "normal," and thinking of them as bums was my mindset. I started to view these human beings as non-human. I believe a lot of this has to do with the fact that I cannot understand how they got to this place, but I also believe I do not know how lucky I truly am. And that is what it is, folks. Luck.

After watching this video, I have a new perspective. I read this quote somewhere and it sums up my feelings and newly acquired outlook on the situation- "The only time you should look down on someone is when you are reaching down to lift them up."

So, give this 4 minute video a watch. Listen. Learn. Be grateful. Gain perspective.