Christmas on the road

They pepper the roads in throngs during the Christmas season.  Almost at the same time as the street lamps' holiday decors.  With their coming comes a strange loophole in the occasion --poverty against a backdrop of festivity.  Painful to the bleeding hearts, suspicious to the hardened hearts.

Some would say this 'show' is run by some slavery syndicate (made obvious by the crisp donation envelope momma totes).  Some would say the child is probably kidnapped and drugged so that the poor babe wouldn't cry amidst the heat and rain.  Some would say the money you give these people would only be used to feed their lowlife-lust for drugs and alcohol.  Some would even say it's illegal to look them in the eyes unless you're thrilled to be prosecuted by law.

My take on this:  it's a mother and a child.  I don't really give a hoot what they stand for, what they really want to do, and what others assume they are.

At the moment, they look hungry so I'll give them a cookie pack.  The child looks sad so I'll give her a little toy.  The mother looks cold so I'll give her an extra shirt.  Old stuff you can keep in the car and do away with.  Heck, I won't even mind parting with a few coins.  But I will not turn my back on them for what ever reason other people say.

I'm not a melodramatic sap.  Nor am I gullible to the core.  But it's Christmas, guys.  We can be skeptic the rest of the year.