[techweenie]

What must it be like to be refused a cup of water -- and a hundred other slights.

We can't always see how people get into distress. Sometimes it's their own poor judgement, sometimes it's random circumstance. For most people, begging is shameful.

2 days ago, I was near LAX at a convenience store and there was a young Black man standing outside. He wasn't asking for anything; he was barely acknowledging anyone, but was clearly in distress. I decided I'd buy him a meal when I came out of the store. But he was gone. I missed a chance to do something decent. And it bothers me. Small gestures cost us next to nothing. But sometimes merely recognizing someone else as a human being can have a big impact on them.