A Day in Another’s Shoes

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it – To Kill a Mockingbird

You walk around with your beloved ones, purchasing things like nobody’s business, hands full of bags, mouth full of food and all the laughs that come together. So much of happiness, isn’t? Without realizing, there is a pair of eyes watching your happiness, hoping to be a part of it. They always notice you but that’s not a big deal. Have YOU ever noticed them?

Being a Malaysian, it’s not something uncommon to see less fortunate people around. They are quite big in numbers. You can see a lot of them in the most populous city, K.L. But why so far? You can still be able to see some of them just around your neighborhood especially in the Pasar Malam. While you are being so gluttonous on the goods, that pair of sorrow eyes are looking at you, wishing that you share some portion of your fortunes with them.  Have you ever tried to fulfill the hoping eyes or just walk away? After all, it’s none of your business. Right?

I've grown up witnessing an unfortunate girl in a Pasar Malam around my housing area. She was there for a quite long time, since I was small, around my nine or ten and I bet she must be around my age. Looking at her until now always wonder me what if I’m in her shoes. I don’t want to go around begging people for their sympathy. I don’t want people to look at me as if I’m the worst creature ever. I don’t want to lose my pride and dignity. I don’t want all these and I’m sure she doesn't want it either. How it feels when she has to hold her hand and ask for a good deed from a girl whom is around her age? There must be a great battle inside herself between her dignity and needs. But is there any other choice left for her?

She is physically handicapped but the flawless face she has, I tell you, just perfect! Despite of her struggling to move, she will never fail to give that smile when our eyes met. I always wonder what happiness is to her. How does she defines it? She can’t be like me, like you. She can’t run around, having fun all the day. Being a girl just like the rest, she can’t pamper herself in a saloon. But how does she survives? How the smile is always on her face? How? Looking at her, I realized that happiness is very subjective. How happy is happy? Anyone to define it? She is happy in her way and I’m happy to see that.

So back to the focus, what would you do when you see them? Will you share something belong to you? Would you mind pouring some care to them? During my childhood, my mom always give me some money whenever we go to the Pasar Malam, so that I can donate it to these less fortunate people. As time flies, that habit persists. At a point of time, I was influenced by some friends or even some articles, about this giving away habits. Basically, they discourage this habits because it was triggered by syndicates. The idea was that the money you donate will be taken by these syndicates. So why encourage it? That’s true enough. Even in the case of the girl I mentioned above, it is not possible for her to be there, unless someone else drop her.

With such thought in my mind, I stop giving. But, I find no happiness in doing that. Every time I passed by these people and the way they look at me, hoping that I would come back and give something, had just put me into dilemma. I will keep on thinking about such incident until something else diverts my mind. One fine day, I did that as usual. But, as I put every single steps ahead, I was thinking about the rationality of doing so. At last, I turned back, gave something within my means and walked away happily. I’m not blaming my friends or the articles I read because they were just trying to create awareness and there are so much of truth in that.

But for me, if that’s the only possible way to feed them, why would I stop? Just imagine, when the target (I’m pretty sure they have this target stuffs) was not met and these people are not getting anything to eat. It is worse. Yes, these syndicates should be eradicated and I guess the authorities are doing their job as I’ve witnessed it several times. We are hoping for the best, but until that, give your best. We just do our part and what the receivers do are beyond our control.

By the way, this is not just narrowed to people I mentioned. Less fortunate people can come in various forms. I’m just trying to emphasize our willingness to contribute something. Of course I can’t force anyone, but giving away a part of your fortunes will not going to make you any poorer. They are already half-dead when they have to kneel down in front of you. Don’t make it even tougher for them by ignoring. It is simple to foster that value within yourself. Just think of yourself being in their shoes and I bet you will start giving. It doesn't matter how much you give, as long as you give something, it’s more than enough. But you should be a little considerate as well. Don’t give 10 cents and talk big. My best wishes to those people who are actively engaging in the humanitarian activities and contributing from all the possible angles to the needy.

  

To walk a day in another’s shoes,

And see through their eyes the blues,

To understand that the life you live, can become so much better,

That another can save you from lying ever after - Anonymous