Generosity

The last ten days of road tripping from Oakland, CA to (currently) New Orleans, LA have been filled with first-times and moments of pure awe at Earth's splendor. So far, though, the most unforgettable moment happened two nights ago on a street corner in South Austin.

I left an outdoor local band show and walked towards a street corner to order an Uber. There was a young woman singing and playing guitar on the corner so I decided to sit down on the curb and watch. The majority of the crowd passed her by without acknowledgement and the few who did pay attention did so absent-mindedly while waiting for the crosswalk light to change.

A homeless man, arms full of his belongings in plastic bags. stopped to listen to the young woman. He then dug around in his things and pulled out some change. He smiled at her and placed the change in her guitar case. My eyes immediately teared up. I wasn't shocked by his action; I was moved. One thing I've witnessed over and over again while traveling is that the people with the least to give are often the most generous - whether its with their  warmth, time, money, or all three.