I like to consider myself a humanitarian, a person who promotes human welfare and social reform, one who wants nothing more than the human race to progress and thrive. Yeah, I joke about “pilgrims” and being pro black, but people who TRULY know me know that I love the general human race and want to see it advance, which is why I am studying to become an educator, do community service, give to the homeless, etc.
Today as I was walking to the College of Education to study, I noticed a large group of flies in one area, as I looked up, I saw that they were surrounding a homeless man. He sat motionless as these flies invaded his area. I thought to myself “How does he sit so still? damn, if that were me, I’d be freaking the fuck out”. Being the humanitarian that I am, but also the broke college student that I am, I did not have any money or food to give to the man. So I simply prayed for him.
As I did my studying and worked with the students that I mentor at Carver High School, the homeless man eluded my mind. I thought about how much school was getting on my nerves, how I can’t stand my practical grammar class and how hungry I was. It took me about an hour to complete all of my work and I started to walk the same direction I came from so that I could go home.
As I walked back to the same spot where I saw the group of flies, I saw paramedics and firemen. Immediately, the homeless man entered my mind. As I walked closer, I realized the number of flies had tripled in population. Along with my realization of the flies, came another realization: the homeless man that I just walked past not even an hour ago was taking his last breath on this earth.
In that moment of watching this faceless man of society pass away, I thought about how much complaining I had done earlier in the day about things that I thought were significant but, now that I think about it, seem absolutely trivial and ridiculous. In that moment, I decided to treat life as what it is, a blessing. I promised myself, and my God that as much as I want to I will NO LONGER complain about going to school, because God has blessed me to be able to follow my dream. I will NO LONGER stress about living with my parents to save money, because God has blessed me with a roof over my head. I will NO LONGER stress about how my family gets on my nerves, because God has blessed me with a family that I see everyday. I will NO LONGER complain about the gas prices, because God has blessed me with a car to get where I need to go. All these things are probably things that this faceless man prayed for on a daily basis. Who am I to complain when God has given me everything that I need to become an influential member of society? I also decided that I will continue to be a humanitarian and strive to become an educator so that I can make an impact on others’ lives. This man, who I never saw before today, did not know before this afternoon, had no knowledge of his existence before I watched him die, has impacted my life in a way that I wish I could go back in time and shake his hand.
What I realized today is that even “problems” as we like to call them, are blessings. They are blessings because we are able to solve them and grow from them. I hope that when I am feeling discouraged about my blessings, even though I may not see them as that in a particular moment, I remember this faceless man who passed away before my eyes today. Because life can be gone in a day, in an hour, in a moment, or in a second. Cherish it. I know I will.
R.I.P. Faceless man thank you for opening my eyes.
