The Homeless Man: An Unexpected Lesson in Kindness
Angels come in all different types of disguises.
Do not underestimate the power of your words. They can have a profound effect, even just one sentence. The one sentence can be so powerful. Or just a little, simple smile. A chance meeting, the same. It can change your life, or the way you think about something or your attitude toward someone. Judgment someone can also be a terrible thing. You have no idea what a person has been (or going) through, what kind of day they have had, what life, what they have lost, what they have suffered. Before meditation I was very guilty of judging people. And before I continue, who am I to preach to anyone?
Recently in Leeds, I was walking back from my yoga course through the city center. I tend to book my hotel on the other side of town to the yoga studio, so I can get my daily steps in there and back. I was probably in ‘good form’ after a day
of yoga (it does do this), I had a bit of a bounce.
Like all our city centers, Leeds is full of homeless people.
I came out of the restaurant and the first person I bumped into was a homeless man. He said ‘can I ask you favour?’, I just answered ‘what do you need?”. He replied ‘can you get me a sandwich?” I put my arm round him (no idea why) and said “of course, let’s go and get you one”. There was a Tesco directly opposite so we started walking over to the shop. Then he said “you are the only person who has smiled at me today, why is everyone else so miserable?”
Over the next few days I thought about what he said. The more I thought about it, the more I felt such shame. Over the years, I don’t know how many times I have walked past a homeless person. Sometimes I would give them some change, sometimes I wouldn’t. Sometimes I would not even look at them. Not always deliberately, I was just thinking and walking and not being aware.
By pure coincidence, a few days later I saw an interview by a gentleman called Matthew Torbitt. Matthew was made homeless when he was around 18 / 19 and was homeless for about a year before being sent to prison. He said it was demoralising, humiliating, people would ignore you, people would urinate on you.
But how hard must it be for a homeless person? I cannot comprehend. It must be so difficult. But I guess that’s an understatement. I honestly have no idea.
We have all done it, (me more than anyone) just walking past. If you don’t have any money, just smile, wish them luck. Anything than just ignoring them.
To the homeless man I met that day, thank you for humbling me. Thank you for making me realise, in that one moment we spoke that I need to do better. I have no doubt you would have forgotten me a few minutes after we met, But I still think about our chance meeting. I reflect on it often. You are an angel, you may not realise it, but you really are. To all the homeless people I may have walked past or ignored (and there are many), I am truly sorry for my ignorant behavior.
I won’t do it anymore. If I don’t have any money I will at lets smile and talk to them. It is nothing, I know. But it is also something. But this is also where your yoga practice comes into play. It isn’t just what you do in your class. It really is how you carry this out into the world, once you have left your mat. It teaches us principles, disciplines, and through your pranayamas and meditations you become more mindful. After a long period of time you start to look at things differently, more positively, more composed, more balanced. You create more space in your head. You become so much more aware. You become kinder. But you have to do the work.
It also makes me realise we are work in progress. All of our lives, it never stops. We constantly must chip away at ourselves. Anyway, I need to improve. I need to very slowly, bit by bit, keep trying to be a better person in any possible way. The tiniest things I say or do can impact a person’s life with you even knowing.
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