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You Have the Power to Change a Life
When so many need help, start with the person in front of you
The sun was out, a rare moment in San Francisco that time of year, and I pretended to run an errand just to get a brief walk in the warmth.
We had a small office on Fillmore in the Marina neighborhood. The walks were short in this part of town since everything we could possibly need, from food to bars, was within a block in any direction, and the sidewalks were seldom crowded, but today the sun had everyone out who could escape work to enjoy a much-needed burst of light in a run of dark late winter days.
Waiting for a light, I noticed the endless hustle of people on the sidewalk all talking with friends, or face down staring at a small screen bumping their way down the street.
There were hundreds on the street this time of day, all passing one homeless guy sitting on the street, his back against a wall in the middle of the block. He must have been at least 50, scrawny thin, and the dirty that only happens after years of living without much hope.
There are so many homeless on the streets of San Francisco it is easy to let yourself become oblivious. You walk, face down on your phone, or chattering away with friends, and you pass a dozen of them leaning against a wall, asking for…
