A few weeks ago, as I was going home on the train, a lady got on the tube and announced to everyone in the carriage that she was an ex-drug addict, ex-criminal and homeless.
She then stated that she was not going to go back to her old life and was asking if anyone had any work she could do for them or spare a little change.
She was met with silence.
Worse, she was met with silence from people who all suddenly started looking down at her feet – petrified to make eye contact.
All credit to the lady, she pointed out that they didn’t have to look away because she was the one – in her words – humiliating herself in a bid to keep doing the right thing.
I watched this episode unfold with disgust … so I got up, gave the woman some money and loudly announce that she was an inspiration and I hope all works out for her.
After that, I sat down and enjoyed the feeling there were now 2 people on the train no one wanted to make eye-contact with.
I’m not saying this because I am seeking any praise for what I did, I’m doing it because for a human being to do that is a cry for help and for people to want to ignore it or avoid it is horrific.
Sure we all have busy lives.
Sure we all have pressures and expectations.
But lets hope we’re never in a situation where we have to ask a train of strangers for help because based on this interaction, most would turn away.
There’s a major issue going on right now that we are fast becoming a cashless society. To be honest, I was fortunate to have some Euros on me, and that was only because I’d been in Amsterdam. It’s an issue I am asking R/GA and the Virgin Money Foundation [who help me with Human_2] to look at solutions, because it’s only going to get worse.
But – and it’s a big, big but – if you don’t have cash or you don’t even want to give cash, you can at least give these people respect because they are people … real, live, living people with feelings and emotions … and just having someone acknowledge they exist is better than what they encounter on a daily basis.