Good Morning All,

You've seen them.  They are all over the place.  Some bag lady here, a bum there, or a driven obsessive-compulsive out to get a corner on the market. They are all the same.  Wounded.  Its only their individual response to injury that sets them apart from each other.  What they all have in common, however,  is spiritual defeat.  They have given up on --- or have no use for --- society or see society contracts only in terms of their use value to their security and ego. In effect, they are spiritually bankrupt and a drain on the spiritual fabric of the universe.

As a result of this condition, and the fact that it is ubiquitous, we all suffer.  The busy entrepreneur has no time or compassion for those without money, the bum, no inclination to invest in his community. As a result of outward appearance, the entrepreneur appears acceptable, the bum does not, yet both leach out the spiritual base of society.

The entrepreneur assuages his conscience by believing through his efforts others earn a living, yet this is really mental masturbation.  In truth, he cares not a wit for anyone but a blank faced customer willing to buy his product.  The rest of us be damned.

The bag lady cares about getting a meal, some water, and a safe place to sit. She cares little about the entrepreneur or anyone else except in how they may be of use to her.

Both are self absorbed.

Brother, can you spare a dollar ... for a widget or a cup of coffee?

One wonders where our social conscience has gone.  I believe there was a time when we at least taught our children the good of a community, which included all of its members, was a priority.  I believe there was a time when we taught our children that they should, as adults,  restrain their greed, offered charity in dollars or effort, and find ways to work together for the common good: Bums of whatever stripe were far more rare. Or at least that is my memory.

We seem to have lost this social conscience somewhere between instant gratification and credit card debt.  My hope is that we will one day re-discover it.  Hopefully before our debt exceeds our ability to pay or we suffer so much we harm ourselves even more through extreme escape video games, drugs, or a  gun.

Be well.