Third world or first world, no matter where you are, you’ll find the faces of the destitute.
Above is just one face who looked deep into my eyes hoping for a dollar. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my old man is, carry small change to give away whenever you can. When you’re sightseeing or on the streets in general, bring small change and bills and just give it away. Quickly. Don’t exchange them for anything.
When we ran into people like this, you could hear my heart wrenching from a mile away. Or maybe that’s the ideal and picture I’d like to portray of myself. I probably gave her a few hundred rupiahs, but it certainly didn’t make a dent in her daily needs.
Imagine the girl above is you, or your daughter. She’s asking for a dollar. Begging for one. Just one dollar for some postcards. For a keychain.
We’ve talked about the “Ovarian Lottery” before.
While some will say things like, “Well, she’s probably happier than you or I. You don’t realize how happy these people truly are.”
Really?
Begging for bucks from tourists is a good thing?
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve won some sort of ovarian lottery. Where you were born and who your parents are separates you from having to ever sell keychains, postcards, blowjobs or sex for a bowl of rice and maybe a shrimp or two once in a while.
Does “God” have a plan for this girl? What about the hindu gods? What about Allah?
What is her purpose? To live to sell keychains to tourists? To haggle the price of a set of five postcards from a dollar to $0.50?
By the luck of the sperm and an egg’s fertilization, this keychain saleswoman was born of a Balinese ovary.
She will never see America in person. She will never argue the case for women’s rights or whether Obama’s Christianity is real or not. She will never stay in a room at the hotels we stayed in. She will never wonder if she should wear her Uggs to school or just a pair of flats.
Don’t argue that I’m the hypocrite. I am the hypocrite. As much as I hate the ovarian lottery, I remain boastfully thankful that I won it.
I wish there were a way to make it better for everyone.
You’re welcome for deflating your balloon.
Someone else may have had a seemingly simple run-in with a beggar. You saw beyond the beggar to the human being beneath. This is a wonderful collection of musings, and perhaps one my favorites of your posts.
You’re so sweet.
Thank you for this comment and compliment.
Glad it struck a chord with you.
Cheers!