Better Than Me

Have ever tried to transfer from the A train to the 2 or 3 train at 42nd St. Grand Central?  If you have, then you are familiar with the arduous journey at 42nd on your way to your final destination.  Along this long tunnel that leads me to my 3 train taking me to Saratoga Avenue there are some very interesting characters.  At any given time, you may see a model, a C-list actor, a familiar friend, musicians, and panhandlers.  All of them catch my attention but on this one particular trek it was the panhandler that stood out to me.  Now I always see bums (sorry to be politically incorrect) but in this one particular case, numerous thoughts came to my head.  One, I’m not giving this bum any money.  Two, this man stinks and he’s dirty.  There’s no way I’m going to place my hand in his hand to give him any money.  Third, this guy is working way harder than me right now.  Yes, he is begging for money to probably support an unfavorable activity (unless it’s weed, mmmm weed) but he is working.  To him, that is his job.  I, on the other hand was walking by him after not working for a reputable employer for over two years and being concerned about my future during that time period.  The bum, who has it harder than me on all levels of life has the persistent nature which most unemployed people can’t seem to grasp.  Granted, I haven’t been completely unproductive but absolutely not at the perceived position I had 2 to 3 years ago.  What I should be doing is continuing to build my portfolio and start looking for more web design gigs, but I’m not as persistent as the bum and I’m moving slow.  Our techniques and avenues are different but our end goal is the same which is to get a better life.  And right now that bum is winning.