Poor us

When we see someone on the fringes of society we look at them, as if from a distance thinking, "poor them". Really, what we should be thinking is closer to, "poor us". Because we're all closer to that then we're comfortable to imagine. Hence the dismissal. Maybe it's time to stop dismissing. To accept that that could have been and might still be all of us.

Let's even assume for a second that your current life path makes it pretty unlikely for you to end up homeless or drug addicted. Probably not as secure as you think. But let's work from that.

What horrible circumstances lead to that person being addicted to drugs? To need so badly to escape or numb from life? We all have things we numb ourselves from. How hard is it to imagine an event so horrible you can't move forward? How hard is it to imagine the wrong person entering your life at the wrong moment and hurting you so badly you need to escape yourself? How that can compound itself. Or, maybe it was the lack of person or people in your life telling you, "you're okay" at the right time, that they love you regardless. That they believe in your beauty.

Or, consider the set of circumstances and lack of support that are completely out of our control that could lead you to being without a job and eventually a home.

The point is, it could have happened to you and through pure chance you avoided it. So that should lead you to two things. First, gratitude. Gratitude that the universe has smiled on you to this point. But more importantly, it should lead you to feeling obligated. Not obligated to give money or things. Simply obligated to feel empathy and understanding. Obligated to acknowledge that that is a human being JUST like you, who hasn't had the luck you've had. The least you can do is look them in the eyes, smile and share a moment of the warmth you've been blessed with.