On Friday, I went to the nearby grocery shop and stood in a register line after getting eggs and onions. There were a few people before me. Then a woman came ahead of me saying "I was.... uh..." She muttered something and stood in front of me. I said, "You mean you were in the line?" She said "Yes." So I said "OK, go ahead." She thanked me and go to the register.
I saw what she had in her hand. Fruits. Peaches, apples, and bananas. Maybe 2 each. I noticed everything was half rotten, not in a good condition, maybe discounted ones.
She seemed in her 40's, my age. Wore her grizzled hair in a bun. She wore decent wool suits but looked like old cloth. I noticed the skirt's back zip was half opened.
She seemed very nervous while register person was checking out. Looked the displayed price on the resister anxiously. Then 1.00 was displayed. She smiled a little bit and put one-dollar bill from her bag and gave it to the checker. She put it out not from her purse but directly from her bag.
Then the checker said something. It seemed the total price was not one dollar but one dollar and several dozen cents or something. She seemed very upset, fished for in her bag for awhile. I expected she put some coin from her bag soon. But nothing was showed up. I was surprised and my heart started to ache.
She had nothing but one-dollar bill. She said to the checker "I won't buy this." pointed out one of the fruit. Then the checker canceled one kind of the fruit, 2 peaches or something. Price became less than a dollar.
She asked the checker that she wanted to buy one peach if she could, so the checker weighed a peach again and add the price. The price was OK. She got a few cents of change and said "Thank you" to the checker and left.
I was deeply heartbroken. I thought I should have given her a dollar or even dozens of cents...... I was just stunned and couldn't do anything.
I usually say "I'm not rich. I have to spend as less money as possible here."
But I have enough money to live, enough to eat not only meals but also some sweets, my favorite ice cream, if I want.
There are many people like that woman. I wonder how she manage her daily meals..... Does she have any children? Does she have a place to live? Does she have any family to ask for help? I know I can't help everybody who is in need. I can't do anything...... My heart aches as I remember her now. What can we do for the needed people. Give money is not a definitive solution...... What can we do for them?
I want to spend each dollar for good use, thinkingly. I will.
3 comments:
I've seen the same kind of
scene several times here in
L.A.. When I was younger, I
had to scrape up pennies to
buy a meal until payday came
around, but it's not the same
thing. Things eventually got
better for me, but for people
like that, you get the sense
that things won't ever get
better.
thank you for your comment, Joe and sorry I'm late to reply you. Yes, it was different from what we've had the seem-to-be similar situation.
I sometimes feel I need to indulge myself to eat fancy food or to buy something that makes me happy even though I don't really need to do it practically, but mentally I need to do something special to get rid of my stress.
I wonder if those people might feel the same way and how to get rid of their stress. Is it odd thing to think about?
I know it's maybe impossible, but I really hope I see the world without poverty, war, hatred beween nations, races, and different religious cultures.
A nice dream. Like John Lennon's
"Imagine."
;-)
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