Yesterday as I walked towards Starbucks, my peripheral vision caught a cart parked by the door, loaded with the belongings of a homeless person. A man missing one foot, wearing left boot on his right foot and a fatigue jacket slept so silently I could barely hear breathing. His head rested on a table next to the one I chose. Also on the table sat an unopened sandwich combo, cup of coffee and money.
An elderly lady quietly placed a note beside his sandwich and left. I added money to his donations, then read the note. “Call me when you wake up and I will take you to a warm place where there is a bed for you and food.”
Humans will survive because despite our capacity for cruelty and hierarchy, we can be very altruistic. Nobody called the police or Veterans Administration; nobody stole his money and nobody derided his body odor. We helped the sleeping man.
I walked into Starbucks with the intent to buy a drink and use their wifi to promote my new “Free Mama Earth” video, which warns that we are destroying earth and ourselves. I walked out with renewed faith that humans will survive. We will help each other and save our environment while there is still time. Everyone deserves clean air and water. Free Mama Earth!
One love,
Aria
p.s. Today I sat next to a white guy at Starbuck’s long table and he immediately got up, looked me straight in the eyes and said: “I don’t want to sit next to you.” I replied: “It’s a free country; move.” He frowned and moved to another table. Can’t help but wonder what would have happened yesterday if the homeless Veteran was black. That’s the dichotomy of humanity: hierarchy vs. helpfulness; hate vs. love. Despite all of our sordid history, I choose helpfulness and love.