I am Agnostic. I truly believe that the good in people is God. People reach out, help, and trust because of this. God is the light in human beings.

I was standing on the Ashland platform waiting for the green line to whistle in and pick me up away from the cold, and my shivering body. It was one of the first days of fall, where you can actually feel the bitterness in the wind. I was just getting home from band practice, so after a nine, almost ten hour day, all I could think about was getting home. I was eager to get my homework done, but way too tired to even think about doing that.

I saw the train’s lights in the distance, I also saw a middle- aged homeless man in snow pants, and a large black coat begging for something to eat. I can tell he wanted to make himself noticed, as he leisurely walked to the garbage to rummage. After he found himself with brown, empty paper Dunkin Donuts bags and empty bottles, the only thing he could do was cry. He leaned on the trash can with his head weighing him down and desperately prayed to god.

The out-bound train quickly scurried onto the tracks, tumbling into the station. I walked on the train, and the homeless man followed. People were staring at him as he cried. As a few people glared at him, they noticed that his cries were just pathetic, and went back to their phones. They didn’t even think to pity him. He walked to his seat, put his head down on his big black jacket and started to cry more. A couple stops away, he finally asked for food. It seemed as if he had to gain courage to do this, even though it was something he longed for desperately. He needed it. He deserved it.

I wanted to help him so bad. I looked in my bag for the scraps of lunch that I didn’t eat, and nothing. I never eat my lunch, and that day I ate my lunch. I zipped open my front pocket and saw some gum. “I never have gum either”, I thought to myself. “Excuse me sir.” I said as he realized my existence. “I have some gum.” “Yes, thank you.” He said as he reached out for my two pieces of peppermint gum. He thanked God and started to pray more, when not even thirty seconds later, a man gave him a couple dollars…. Another man reached out a hand full of money to the starving man, and then another. Again, the man thanked God “in Jesus’s name.”

One thing really bothered me about this. How come I was the first one on the train that finally showed some hospitality? It brought me to serious questions. I thought about if I didn’t ever do that. If I didn’t look in my bag for some gum, would that man go starving for the rest of the night? Did I actually influence others to be generous? How did I become the only one who decided to speak up and do what I believe, the right thing? That night, I thought about America, and how distant and afraid we are of common human beings around us. We don’t trust easily, because were afraid of what strangers can do to us. We stare at screens pretending we don’t have any idea what’s going on around up. I believe that Americans are too tied up in our lives. We exist only as strange faces. I’m happy I said something, but I think there just needs to be more awareness and hospitality in our country. We can’t expect that there’s always going to be a leader, someone to guide us and tell us what is right. We have to think for ourselves, and make our own choices.