Brother

I passed a homeless man on the walk. "Too bad," I thought, not missing a beat. I had important people with whom to talk, and I was late for the executive suite. I did catch a dimming in his worn face and dismissed it as a natural reaction. "Another loser," I said, "in the human race." Thus I quieted my conscience by inaction. The meeting's agenda was not clear. We were simply told attendance was vital. "Everyone here got a raise last year," the CEO began, "regardless of title." All agreed they had been treated well. Then I relived the homeless man's plight, and a pain in my gut had a tale to tell. "Raise hands if for charity you gave a mite." No hands were raised, faces were red. "You know our firm gives back to the city. We give money, scholarships--enough said. The fact you gave nothing is an ugly pity." I saw again the homeless man on my way. He embraced me tightly in a loving smother. Handing him cash, I said "I hope this is OK." In a tear-soaked voice, I heard him say, "Thank, you brother." Al