The other day I gave money to the (supposedly) homeless guy at the intersection by the mall. So did the person in front of me and the person behind me. Felt inordinately and perhaps inappropriately good about myself. Some, myself included, will question his MO, his degree of real need, his plans for the money. But I feel like those questions slow the world down, and I figure that whatever the guy's backstory might be, he needs the money more than I do. And one of my New Year's resolutions is to assume that behind every gesture, on the part of every person around me, are the best of intentions. For the most part, I've been failing spectacularly at assuming such a thing, but in this case it worked, and motivated me to give the guy a few dollars.

Also, I've realized recently that gestures of generosity must be removed from their context until only the immediate circumstances of the gesture are left: generosity should not be contingent on the giver's motives for giving or his subsequent ego boost, nor should they hinge upon the recipient's own nature or plans for his gift. It fails to be generosity then and becomes a messy business transaction requiring the drawing up of contracts and whatnot. If the guy goes and buys liquor instead of food with my money (which is no longer my money, remember, it is now his, unconditionally) then that's his prerogative�because it's his money now. I realize I should have taught him how to fish instead of just giving him one, but I was late for work as it is. Perhaps another day, I'll teach him how to fish.

When I gave him the money, he said "Top of the morning to you!"

Then, when I got to work, my very first customer commented on the unseasonally warm weather we were having that day. She was effusive and almost self-righteous about it, saying, "You guys can't even imagine how nice it is out there." I immediately responded, "Yeah, but I can imagine the polar ice caps melting and the coasts being underwater." Then I immediately felt like a big jerk, because I am.

Right now I am listening to: The Colour & The Shape by the Foo Fighters
Right now I am reading: A Box Of Matches by Nicholson Baker
Right now I am getting used to: OS X
Right now I am dreading: work

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