After work yesterday, I randomly had a 2 hour conversation with a man who lives in Union Square Park. He has been living, playing chess, and selling CDs of his music there for 6 years. Although he thought I wouldnt believe him, he told me about his life: how he was airlifted from Cambodia as a child (not his choice) when the US was bombing his village in 1970s, about his full ride scholarship to Rutgers University in Literature, and the woman he fell in love with in Canada and had three kids with. But the US never gave, and still has yet to give him, citizen status. My immediate response was: there should be a documentary about you. Turns out there is. He told me to take out my phone and google his name. My new friend is named Saravuth Inn and he is the subject of Odysseus Gambit which debuted at Sundance Film Festival in 2011. This man is more well read than me, speaks more languages, has debated and won at national Ivey league competitions (only Brown defeated him) and he plays a better chess game than I could ever hope to… but people on the street 10 times out of 10 would rather talk to or help or give a dollar to me over him. Any day. This video illustrates just that. So next time you see a person with tattered clothes asking for your help, think about what your snap judgements are based on. You dont know them. You dont know their story. Maybe you cant give them a dollar, but you could at least treat them like a person who has value and deserves love. I made a friend today. And as soon as I get paid… hes getting a subway sandwich on me.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 06:09:25 +0000
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