Be Empty Like the Sky

What if each of us took the time to connect with people in need?

Winter is coming to the town where I live. The days are getting shorter. The nights are getting colder. And the street people are beginning to shiver.

These days, when someone asks me for a buck or two to buy a cup of coffee, it’s less about the caffeine than it is how good it feels to hold something warm in their hands.

Walter is one of those guys.

Every time I pass Walter on the street, if I look at him, he asks me for money. He’s a total natural, never invasive or begging. He’s just asking — kind of like a child would ask their mother for a cookie after school.

The first time I saw Walter, he asked me for a quarter. The next time he asked for a dollar. Sometimes he asks for two. If I have it, I give it. If I don’t have it, I don’t give it. Instead we fist bump and smile. I always ask him how’s he’s doing and he tells me.

The real deal with Walter has nothing to do with money. It’s about the space that opens up between us after he asks for it. Because in order for me to respond to Walter’s request, I’ve got to slow down and dig around in my pockets. That takes time. And during that time, Walter and I have a conversation. Yesterday we talked about his diabetes. The day…