The Kindness of Strangers.

Today, I went to Halifax for our 12th Youth Against Stigma event. I brought my acoustic with me and did a little busking before the show. On Barrington street, I sat down on a bench where an old man was sitting. He very kindly left to allow me to busk in peace, and later another man came and spoke to me. He asked me very politely to leave, because the man who had been there before was a pan handler and really needed the money. I sat down and began talking to him, and soon the other man joined us. Then another came along.
These are the people that are every day over looked upon the streets. One of them was mourning the loss of his brother. His family refused to even take him to the funeral. Another, was living in the backyard of his best friend. The third was nearly illiterate, but it was his actions which made the biggest impact on me today.

As I was leaving, he called me back. I stood there as he rummaged in his bag, finally drawing out a gold chain with a small stone pendant. He gave it to me. I tried to refuse, but he wouldn’t take it back. I left there with a smile,cheered, but thinking little of it.

I came home and realized that it was a 10 karat gold necklace. I’m sure that he really needed the 20 dollars he would’ve gotten for it. Instead, he gave it to me, because I sat down and spoke to him for a few minutes.
The kindness of strangers is astounding.