"Pride Aside"

Sitting in the living room of my parents place, i was in mid conversation when they hear a knock on the door. My three nephews were there as well. My mother answers the door and there stands a man with muscles shirt on and some too big pants. His pants were held up by flipping the inside of his pants up and he had shoes on that were worn. He was a young man, looked to be about 29 or 30 with a black fitted cap and braids underneath his cap. From his appearance, you could tell that he didn't have much and some would even be slightly uncomfortable if he had knock on their door.

As my mother was opening the door, she noticed that the gentleman was standing quite a ways away. So then she says, "Can i help you" he replies, "Ummm yes ma'am, i live right across the way and i was wondering if you could help me $5.75 for my daughter". He was holding this game pad that kids that are learning numbers, animals and sounds could learn from. He even offered her that as well. He says, "I just need $5.75 so that i can get my daughter some diapers. I will give you this toy and also was your car if you need it".

At this moment, I'm sitting on the couch near the door listening to everything he is saying. From where i was seated, i couldn't see him but only hear him. I heard the sincerity in his voice and even the sheer absence of pride that he displayed to have even asked for something like that. Sitting there, i could only imagine what he felt on the inside and how it was affecting him as a man.

My mother steps back in the door and looks at me and tell the gentleman, "hold on". He then extends out the toy that was in his hands, to her. Two of the nephews that were there were 4 and this caught their eyes. Immediately, the latched on to the game and started pressing any button that would make it make any sound possible. I start to reach in my pocket and realize i had a 20 dollar bill and 3 ones. So i hand my mother the 3 ones and she tells the gentleman "Hold on, i will be right back". She walked to her bedroom to grab more money to give him but realized she hadn't been to the bank. About 3 or 4 minutes goes by (for someone asking for something, not knowing if they would get it, I'm sure it felt like an eternity).

Having a complete awareness of how he could be feeling, i get up off the couch and walk down the hall to my mothers room. Before i got up though, i was thinking to myself...what if that were me. How would i be able to ask a perfect stranger for money for my daughter. How humble would i have to be to have enough emotion to do something so important for my daughter. So i knock on my moms door, she opens it and hands me a hand of cash. It was all ones so it didn't add up to much. I then take back the 3 dollars from it that i had given her earlier and give her back the money she added. I told her, "Imma give him this $20 and give him that game back too. Any man that has to ask for money, give up his child's game and even offer to wash a car...needs it".

Walking back down the hallway to the living room and then the front door...i felt grateful for where i was at in life. Even though i don't have all i want, i am able to take care of my daughter and live. Here is a man that obviously fell on bad times or make some bad decisions and he don't only suffer for it but his child does as well. The good part about it is that she is so young that she don't completely understand but the bad part is that because she doesn't know, as a man its more hurtful.

As i walk in the living room, i grab the game from my two young nephews and walk to the front door where he stood on the porch. I hands his the game and money and says, "Here you go bro, keep tha game and take care of yo daughter mayne". He says, "Bro you sure you don't want tha game mayne". I reply, "Naw mayne that's yo daughter game, we good. I know you need that bro and i have a daughter so i know how it feels manye, take care of you lil one bro". He says a couple more things but by that time, i got a little emotional on the inside. As he is walking off with a slight smile on his face, i didn't feel as if i did something generous.

You have to first understand that some people live so much that they forget that there is a need for people in situations as him. My life isn't all that great but it felt like i should have at least been able to understand...after all i grew up in the hood. I couldn't relate with him or even imagine what he was going through. But as i sat back down on the couch, i had a stone look on my face in deep thought. My third nephew who is 14 (he is like my son) was sitting on the other couch looking at me and said, "Whats up unc, that was the only 20 you had in your pocket huh". I said, "Yeah, his need was more than mine. That 20 will go further that i could have made it today".

The feeling of not being able to relate and near tears, i felt a bit better because my nephew seen first hand an act of compassion. That is one of the things that Jesus says we should have for people as Christians. Its not like the guy at the corner begging for money to support his habit or addiction. This was a guy with a genuine need. I had seen him around so i knew he had some truth to what he was asking for.

I wrote this to touch the hearts of the readers to not only be aware of what is going on around you but understand this still exist even though it doesn't in your life. Many of us couldn't imagine asking for something for ourselves, less known our child. Thank God that you are in the position you are in because there are people who would love to trade places with you.

Be grateful!