Now let me confess. Sometimes I push myself hard to not feel pity for beggars on the street. I remind myself of the stories and reports I hear of how some of them are richer than the person who takes pity on them and gives them some money.
Who was fooling who? Is she really a beggar or just part of a gang? Did she really need cigarettes or money or food? Is the man who gave her the cigarettes doing her any good?
Witnessing that act changed my thoughts about begging generally. A beggar is not always looking out for food and maybe they are vulnerable to all kinds of exploitation. Their original reason for begging may be an insight into a much larger issue at the core of that practice.