So close are Here and There

I get frustrated when I hear people dismiss the poor as lazy or undeserving -- beyond simple human empathy, aren't people aware of the degree to which one stroke of bad luck (a health crisis, ID theft, etc.) can unravel a life? You can ask Gary Walker, who was cited for a crime he hadn't committed, and during the time it took to straighten things out, lost his job and then his home. A guy described by former coworkers as "cheerful and hardworking" now finds himself panhandling and uninsured, and is likely to find himself in a further Catch-22 in seeking a new job (i.e., having no address to list on an application)...

Remember to be glad for what you have, and nonjudgemental about those who have less!