WE ARE ONE...

Today I walked past a homeless guy on Oxford Street.  

Today I realised that we are all in this together. 

Today I decided to try and inspire you to help. 

I walked past a guy on the street with a sign that clearly said he was an ex-serviceman. Putting this in perspective, this guy served our country.  He served his Queen. He protected us. He protected your children. 

All he had was a sleeping bag and one other small bag with him, his whole life spread around him in the doorway of Primark, in one of the busiest places in the UK. So why did nobody help him? Why did nobody even stop to say hello? 

I first walked past this guy two weeks ago when I did the same as every other person on the street, I walked on by and gave him an awkward sympathetic smile. This in ways maybe much worse than just plainly ignoring him - he doesn't need my sympathy, he doesn't need me pity. He needs my help, our help. 

The biggest fear in all human beings is rejection, and rejection is the reason I offered him nothing before today. Every time I tried to offer him lunch or tried to speak to him before I got there my mind would always find the fear of him saying no. 

WHY ON EARTH WOULD HE SAY NO?!

He is trying to survive Every Single Day, trying to eat, trying to sleep. 

He doesn't know when his next meal will be, he hasn't got a home that he can go to in the evenings to keep warm and curl up on the sofa with a nice hot cup of tea and a biscuit. He doesn't know where he will lay his head tonight to sleep or the next time he will be able to take a warm shower or even see a friendly face. All of these things that we take for granted Every Single Day. 

Today I conquered the stupid fear of rejection and I asked him if he would like some lunch. Immediately he said Yes Please that would be great. 

The smile on his face was heartwarming and all I had done was offered to buy him a meal from McDonald's - something which we take for granted all of the time! When I asked him to choose something from the menu - he wouldn't. He told me that I was buying it so I should choose - I assume this is because he didn't want to be rude and ask for too much?! What is too much?  For me £6.00 for a meal with a hot drink and a bottle of water is never too much. Especially to see someone so happy, so grateful. 

Why do we believe that we are better than homeless people? Why do we believe that we are better than people that are on a different path of discovery to us? Why does driving around in a Mercedes make him any better than the guy on the bus? 

Objects and 'stuff' do not make us better than others around us, we are all in this together. We are all trying to do the best we can to live the life we want and be happy. But we should never forget that everything that we own could be ripped away from us in a second. 

What would you be worth? What would you have given the world? Who have you helped that could repay the favour? 

Or have you been too wrapped up in your own life to realise that everybody needs a helping hand from time to time. 

If anybody who reads this post can think about it next time they see somebody sleeping rough on the streets - put yourself in their shoes. Just think about the everyday things that you take for granted.

Buy someone one the streets a meal, sit and speak to them for half an hour if you really don't want to buy them anything - but don't just ignore them. 

I was already in a rush when I stopped to buy lunch for him, but next time when I see him I will make sure I say hello and ask some questions, speak to him. Everybody deserves friendship. 

Please try and help others out - we all need to work together to make the world and safer and nicer place for us all to live. 

You can donate now to Shelter or Crisis  if you are in the UK and it only takes 2 minutes out of 1440 minutes in your day.

If everybody who reads this post donates £5 to one of the charities I have listed - the world will be a much happier place for people sleeping rough. 

In 2014  2,744 people slept rough on any one night - lets help fight homelessness. Give someone a home, give someone your Time. Time is more valuable than anything else will ever be. 

Be Kind. 

Pay it forward. 

Make someone smile. 

TODAY. 

Don't wait.