One night in Bursa I passed a beggar with no legs. I didn't give him any money but when he called out to me in perfect English I stopped to talk for a minute. Later I ran into him at the small pension I was staying at. He was friends with the owner and helped him out with odd jobs. He brought me to a nearby kabob place for dinner. When it was time to go I got out my wallet assuming i would pay for both of us, but he beat me to it. I felt horrible letting him pay for me when he obviously needed it more. I tried to give my money to the waiter instead but he started getting upset and kept insisting. I realized that for some reason it was important to him to be my host. He walked (on his arms) me back to the pension and said good night.
I stayed up awhile thinking about generosity and selfishness and the times in my life when I've shown one or the other.
---------------------------------- Jennifer Chase Photography washington DC photographer www.jenniferchasephoto.com