Change

Location: 42nd Street, New York City, worldwide

 

Well life isn’t all peaches and cream. Today, I need to vent.

Sometimes I see very interesting things on the train to and from work. Other times, I’m a witness to distressing situations. Yesterday an extremely disabled man, who was not able to walk very well at all, was in my car. The sheer helplessness I felt of just having to sit there and observe his plight was overwhelming. In fact, I was in one of those moods that I probably would have just sat there and cried had there not been so many people around. And then I thought, ‘Well, Annie, imagine his frustration and helplessness.’

To add to my misery, after going and spending money on things at Target, I happened upon a well suited, yet quite overweight man inhaling his McDonald’s burger and fries in the middle of the train station lobby. Now I don’t know that guy’s circumstances, but I couldn’t help but think, what has it all come to? I didn’t have any answers; I just wished I was going to the gym to burn off my vexation; instead it was home to do laundry. Needless to say, I collapsed into bed thoroughly exhausted.

So today, as I walked along 42^nd Street, sipping my $4.63 Tall Caramel Lite Frappuccino from Starbucks, for some reason, I was piercingly reminded of my angst toward the rotund man I had so much disdain for yesterday. I didn’t even need or really want the blasted drink – it was just something to do to fill time on my half hour lunch break.  Then I thought of the famine taking place in East Africa. Yes, I remembered watching something about a man from Cairo who has to support his family on $4 dollars a day. Here I was spending more than that amount on a drink that I didn’t even want.

Now I know that my not buying a $4.63 beverage will not help anyone unless I personally was to escort the money to those in need. Nor do I have anything against caffeine. However, I can’t help but think about this society we live in. We are taught to believe we need things that we most certainly do not. And it is that very attitude and feeling that big business has exploited and cashed in on.

I just keep reminding myself of the huge change we need – one to permanently help man and animals alike.