07 Mar 2009, Posted by justin in the category, 0 Comments

A Beggar with Something to Offer?

Today I walked past a beggar with no legs or hands – he could barely hold the rusty old tin shaking vigorously in his two stumps which he used to plead for money. I’m not so sure that he could speak either…

Generally speaking, I’m not the biggest fan of giving money to beggars who simply sit their, presenting themselves as unworthy and of little value (if any) to society.  I find it sad that such people merely resort to pleading for a bystander’s empathy to throw some loose change into their tin, conceding that they have nothing to offer in return. I like to to think that everyone in this world has something to contribute, and although many beggars may not share this perspective, I wonder whether throwing change into a beggar’s tin promotes an acknowledgement of their hopelessness; to accept their inability to provide anything of value to others in society.

On the other hand, I’ve seen plenty of beggars in Chisinau who, at first glance, may not seem as though they have much to offer, but are doing their utmost to provide something for others. A few days ago we passed an elderly man on the side of the street singing his heart out. Now it wouldn’t have taken a professional vocalist to realise that this man’s voice was a little off key. But the point is, he felt that he had something to contribute to society, and by putting money in his tin, he is being acknowledged for what he has to offer to others – he is being recognised as someone of worth; as a human that has significance in society.

So where does that leave the beggar with no limbs? This man has found himself in an extra-ordinary situation where his present circumstances restrict him from doing much except plead. Each day his existence is dependent upon the compassion of others, and my heart goes out to him. He can’t play an instrument, and from what I gathered can’t use his voice, in fact, he would have enough of a battle commuting to his office parked on the steps each day. The more I’ve thought about this, the more it has challenged my perspective on life – on what it really means to be having a bad day; on what it really means to need something; on what it really means to be finding life hard. Maybe living out of a suitcase for a few months on end, travelling on a mini-bus packed to the rafters for 3 hours a day, or language acquisition isn’t so tough after-all. My short encounter with the man with no limbs has challenged me to reflect on my present circumstances and ponder on the opportunities I have to use what I’ve got to contribute to society as best as possible… maybe he did have something to offer to me after all.