I was driving with my family to a party in Florida, when we noticed a homeless man with a sign saying:
“I’m homeless and a Veteran. Please give me what you can. I’m hungry.”
To my disbelief, a woman rolled down her window and gave the man a half eaten banana. I was a little taken aback. A half eaten banana? I kept thinking there’s something wrong with this picture. I could see her giving him a fresh banana. I could see her giving him a quarter to buy a banana, but I couldn’t believe she gave him a half eaten banana.
As I was contemplating the rationale of the half eaten banana, my son rolled down the window, reached into his pocket and gave the guy a $1 bill.
What do you think about the half eaten banana?
Yes, there IS something wrong with the picture that “in America” there are people at all, let alone veterans, who are homeless and going hungry! The fact that this woman offered him something – anything – to eat is the more important thing. Perhaps this was the exact picture that prompted your son to reach into his own pocket. The Universe is always working to bring awareness to us …. we just have to be ready to see it.
I think the banana was half-full. Your family had a teachable moment … and as Janice said below, it is baffling that we in America should have hungry homeless people, much less Veterans who cannot earn their way … So often cases like this can be related back to mental illness, and the issue that people do have the right to refuse treatment.
I understand that the half-eaten banana thing seems uncharitable but how do we know that the banana wasn’t all that woman had to give at the moment? More important is the compassionate act of your son who gave what he could. It is appalling that in the richest country in the world anyone could go hungry, much less a veteran. Good for your son, and I’ll also say good for that woman and her half-eaten banana.