What happens outside us on our journey through life is not ever as important as what happens inside us.

Judgments

By Beverlee Blampied (c)  

Some people judge you by your looks, and other what's within
Some count just how much good you've done and others count your sin
You constantly are on display, they're always poking, prying
And even when you've done your best you have to keep on trying
Your deeds are scrutinized with care till all the wrongs you've done
That weren't so bad a while ago now seem to weigh a ton
Your chain of thought, so short before, now has another link
Before you do a thing you say, "But what will people think?" 
They watch you till they make you feel you want to run and hide
To roll your feelings in a ball and lock them up inside
These people who are watching you are they so perfect  too
That they can watch and criticize, judge and examine you?
No, they have faults as you and I,  be they big or small
And in this light they have no right to judge your deeds at all 

Acts of Compassion

It was my regular 'home from work' commute aboard an Islington bound 5:15 p.m. subway train. I was standing next to the door, holding on to the metal bars with my hand wrapped in my sweater sleeve. A smelly, unkempt looking man entered through the sliding doors when we stopped at the St. George Station. He pushed his way through the crowd of weary commuters yelling: "Excuse me - excuse me - handicapped".

"Oh, boy" many of the passengers angrily muttered under their breath - "Here we go again - here's another money-seeking traveling philosopher"!

He called for everyone's attention and, like the many needy people that have begged like this before him, he began to tell his story - hoping to arouse sympathy in our hearts and compassion in our wallets.

There were three passengers standing a few inches away from me. They rolled their eyes and spewed frustrated comments at this man's audacity, and their less than decent, yet highly predictable reactions stirred up uncomfortable thoughts in my head.: To what length do those in need have to go to get one's attention? Do we ever really listen to them? Have we reached a point where it is now common for the needy to have to beg for our kindness and assistance before we even consider opening our ears and our hearts? My jumbled and confused thoughts were telling me that perhaps our attitude is all wrong. Have we not been given the privilege to give to others? Is it not our duty to do so, and although it may be labeled as an act of kindness on our part, is it not our responsibility to help those in need? And, if so, why do we have to wait for someone, like this sad soul, to arouse our compassion? Also, in a broader sense, shouldn't giving to those in need mean not just the monetarily needy - those seeking the means to survive - but to anyone and everyone who crosses our path in life and is begging to be heard. If someone we know is in a 'rough' spot, is it not then our duty and obligation as human beings to see them through their dark tunnel, in whatever way we can? Is it not our neighbourly duty to assist our fellow man by not turning our backs on them in their time of need?

After ten minutes of listening to this disheveled homeless man's hardships, the horrid details, unfortunate event after unfortunate event, I was pleased as I saw two generous passengers each hand him a loonie, as did I, when he left the subway car at Lansdowne Station. I won't ever know if his sorry saga was true or exaggerated, and I won't ever know if the money given to him was used appropriately, but I can hope that he felt some small sense of kindness that day, in his unsettled existence and, as he limped through the  train doors, I was humbly reminded that acts of compassion must be one of our purposes in this world - our obligation to humanity - and that we need always to remind ourselves that we too, through unthinkable circumstances, could so easily be walking this man's sad journey.