24 October 2014
it was difficult not to notice him. he was sitting right along the walkway, in front of our office. small of stature, blue-eyed with light brown hair. he was obviously out of place even in an area teeming with people who have no qualms expressing themselves.
what caught my attention though was this handwritten sign he had placed on top of his red bag – need help!
i must admit i initially ignored him, going straight to the office. but it was pretty difficult to watch people just looking at him and act like he was not there.
his name is greg. he had come from Missouri on a vacation with his friend. they ended up getting robbed: passports, money and all. while his friend had family, he was an orphan who had no one to turn to. he said he already had requested the US consulate’s help with his predicament. unfortunately, it would take 30 days to verify his identity. he has been going to the US consulate for any progress on his case almost every working day. with no money and nowhere to go, he has been sleeping in barangay halls, sought help with the DSWD and relying on the help of strangers for food.
it is easy for us to turn a blind eye to people in need, people who are so down on their luck. often, we are afraid of being scammed, afraid of being taken advantaged of, afraid to lose our hard-earned money. but no one can ever really say they never needed someone else’s help. whether the plea for help was articulated or not, someone was there at one point to help you out. whether through a kind deed or just encouraging words. it is but natural then to pay it forward.
my take 