DONT WE ALL

One evening I was leaning on the bonnet of a BMW car parked in front of a fast food joint. I had just come out of this particular one, my friends and I had gone to eat inside.I had come out first and was waiting for them to join me so that we could go back to home.It had been a very tiring day for me ,all I wanted was to go home, take a shower and rest my back on the softness of my bed. On impulse I turned to look over my shoulder, coming my way from across the parking lot was what society and I would consider a bum. From the looks of him, the obvious was stated; he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times in a day when you feel generous but there are other times when you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of the "Don't want to be bothered" time for me. "I hope he doesn't ask me for money," I whispered half aloud to myself. And He didn't.Maybe he had heard me and maybe not. He came and sat on the curb in front of the parking garage, I looked at him closely, and from his appearance he didn't look like someone who had money to even afford a bus ride to God knows where he had come from. He kept starring at the car, his eyes moving to and fro, like he was relishing the thought of owning one. After a few minutes he finally spoke. "That's a very nice car," he said. Although he was ragged, he had an air of dignity woven around him. And this revelation startled me. I said, "Thanks," and continued looking towards the door, anxiously waiting for my friends to come out so that I could be rid of him. He sat there quietly as if reading my thoughts and waiting for me to ask him to go away, yet I remained silent, waiting for the usually plea for money to come. The expected plea never came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, 'ask him if he needs any help.' I was sure that he would say yes, but I held true to the inner voice. "Do you need any help?" I eventually asked him. He answered me in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. Most times, we often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it often from those of higher learning and accomplishments. Today I was thought a lesson. A lesson I am hoping someone else would learn too. I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand, but it never came. Rather he spoke three words that shook my body from my head to my toes. "Don't we all?" he said. He inhaled deeply and continued.