Strangers I will never forget

A recent reddit post on this topic reminded me of an elderly couple I saw in India. It was an experience I will never forget so I thought I'd share the story.

Nine years ago, I was on a tour bus in India. As people on our tour hurried to get on the bus, a bunch of local street vendors pushed towards the door to hawk their wares. I took my seat (towards the back) and looked through the glass window to see what they were offering. That's when I spotted an elderly couple standing by the sideline. The gentleman was blind while his wife tried to sell some trinkets. She doesn't have a chance to push through to the front--her efforts were drowned out by the crowd. She had this look of defeat & gentle sadness that I could never forget. They weren't begging...just trying to eek out an honest living. 

I immediately checked my wallet and pulled out a $100 bill (emergency money) to give to them. That money isn't much to me, but I know it would mean alot to them.

Sadly I couldn't fight my way back out the front of the bus. The bus was late and people were trying to get on, not to mention the throng of people selling their stuff.

After a few minutes of trying, I gave up. I thought I'll donate the money to other deserving people throughout the trip, which I did, but the opportunity to help this elderly couple is gone forever.

I don't have a habit of giving away money, but this is one missed opportunity I will never forget. Now, whenever I see someone deserving, I don't hesitate to help. Don't get me wrong, there's tons of people begging but are not deserving. We've all seen Internet videos and beggars on street corners who shouldn't be begging.

TLDR: Don't miss an opportunity to help others. You may regret it forever.

As I write this, I can recall their faces. I can't help but think about how much it would mean to them. The opportunity to help them is lost forever. 😢

In that moment, I did not think to take a picture but here are some photos from that trip.