The other day a friend of mine witnessed a beggar, probably early teens, getting hit by a vehicle at an intersection.
He saw the teen flip over over the bonnet of the vehicle and land on the tar with a bone-crunching thud.
A security company was first on the scene.
My friend assumed the beggar was badly injured, maybe even dead, and figured he’d probably be taken to hospital.
Imagine his shock then, when later in the day, he saw the very same teen back begging at the same traffic intersection.
He couldn’t find the words to describe how he felt. Your reaction might be similar.
You’d think the teen might be put off by his near-death experience. Not so.
Beggars at traffic lights are able to bring emotion to the surface pretty – or should that be ugly? – quickly.
The most common is probably irritation, for others it’s anger and then for some, concern.
The fact that they seem to be everywhere and increasingly so, indicates that motorists are still winding down their windows and handing out a few coins or the odd note to subsidise their lifestyles.
Is this good, bad or just the way it is in South Africa?
I’m often impressed by their acting skills, or performances, to get you to part with some money.
Could they not use this dogged determination and tenacity for good?
Find a job, go back to school perhaps? I realise it’s probably not that simple.
In some ways, despite the pathetic sadness of seeing desperate people trying to eke out a living, you also have to admire their courage and determination to do so.
This same tenacity is true of a lot of South Africans, sometimes to their detriment.
Many are carrying on like they’re bullet-proof, without an apparent care in the world, when they need to be a bit more considerate of those around them, especially with many very worried about their health during the coronavirus second wave.
As we head into the new year, we need to take stock of our situation.
There’s going to be a time where we need to get back on the horse and not let the tragedy, devastation, panic and fear this virus is causing allow us to lose our shape in life.
True, it’s easier said than done.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
