Spare some change?

I just came back from Sprouts, my local, favorite grocery store. For years in that parking lot, on occasion, not really too often, you can find a soul who is wandering around from shopper to shopper, asking for money. It's been a while. When I was working downtown every day you pretty much couldn't go outside without getting an opportunity to give. And it was there in downtown Phoenix, about a year ago, I had a rare epiphanie. It took a little math, but I got there. Now most of you sweethearts probably figured this out back when you had high-school math and have been giving like crazy!; but I missed it all. I always got the feeling when I saw it coming; of wishing it wouldn't, "He's gonna ask if I have any spare change", in some silly avoiding way. And hey, if you see it every day you get kind of de-sensitized to it after a while. So you walk by, hoping to miss the uncomfortableness of it all. And often say no (sometimes lying, sometimes not). You know they're lying, they don't want money for food, it's for drugs or alcohol or some terrible thing that I don't want to have any part of! Then one day, I got to thinking about it all. How I would prefer to err on the side of generous, and give with abandon whenever possible, without judgment. And this is where the math came in. I reasoned, that in a given year I bet I don't get asked for money more than 20 times? Is it 50? Probably not. So if every time I'm asked and then give, it would cost me less than a carton of smokes! Now we're dealing in numbers I can work with! So today the opportunity came my way again, and right away I remembered my program, and was ready to give baby! The fun thing is that it's no longer a problem. You know what's gonna happen, a transaction, a moment to be kind. And because there's no resistance you can actually have a nice conversation, listen a bit to their story, and then, whip out a big fat dollar bill! Or whatever your favorite denomination is, 50 cents, whatever. I looked this guy in the eye with all the compassion I have and felt great to be there for him, listening to his story. Driving away, singing, It's another day for you and me in paradise!