Kindness of Strangers

Paving the Way

It’s a sad and familiar refrain that we often hear: “Can you spare some change?” Usually, when confronted with that question, I’ve been struck with indecision and experienced twinges of guilt if I passed by without giving a coin or two.

My conscience was pricked again on a tour of Venice in 2006. I had taken refuge from the crowds in a quiet canal-side café. Outside the café was an old woman kneeling on the ancient cobbled stones, begging. Steady streams of tourists were walking past her. A lone young back-packer stood away from the throng drinking something, but I noticed he was also observing the woman.

She knelt motionless, her head almost touching the ground, a flimsy shawl providing little protection against the cold. The sight was especially poignant when contrasted with the visible signs of Venetian wealth, both past and present, around her.

A tourist group bustled along the street, glanced at the woman and walked on. Another group of tourists arrived and, again, walked past her. The backpacker watched. Then, as I prepared to leave, I stopped at the sight of the backpacker stepping forward and placing some money in the woman’s cup. He did this rather ostentatiously, just before the arrival of another tourist group. I watched as the leader of the group stopped and put some money in the cup. Having been shown the way, other tourists followed suit and added more coins to the woman’s cup.

The young backpacker repeated this process in front of the next tour party going past. Once again, the subtle peer pressure worked on the tourists, who all added coins to the cup. His work done, the young
man walked over to the old beggarwoman, patted her shoulder and said, “I hope that helps a bit.”

I don’t know if the woman understood his English or realized what had just happened, but I did.
I placed some money in the woman’s cup and continued my travels, light-hearted after witnessing such an astute act of caring.

Colin Maltman, Australia