just a bum?

my sister's wonderful roomie Tess posted this blog the other day and i found it so inspiring i am posting it here for you all to read and enjoy as well! you can find her blog here http://contessaleonaflanagan.blogspot.com/

"in many eastern religions a person who denounces their families, home, friends, and all material objects, to wander as a religious holyman, begging for food, and searching for nirvana are highly respected in their communities for their way of life... now lets place this same holyman on the city streets of the united states... here we would call him lazy, a bum, filth to our society, a criminal, a drunk, and a failure.... now lets take a closer look... could it be that these "bums" are really just as genuine in their means as the traveling holy man you would see in eastern religions?.. could it be that they too are fed up with the materialistic, fake, excessive, and obsessive society we live in?... maybe to them living free from taxes, brand name clothing, fast food, cell phones, commitment, and society is better than living trapped and consumed by that which prisons us... maybe... some of these "bums" are really in their non efforts seeking their own nirvana...or maybe.... they are people who were never given a break in life... no one offered to help... no one loved them, fed them, took care of them when they were sick... maybe someone told them that they were a failure... maybe their thoughts torment them soo bad they cannot even function in society and live as an outsider... some of these "bums" fought in brutal wars to keep our freedoms secure...maybe they can't "go and find a job" because they are so tormented by images of war, death, their friends dying at their side, that they can't even sleep at night.... so the next time you see a bum... you don't have to give them money... just offer them your compassion..."