Chapters 11-15 (C)

Dear Diary,

Today at the store, a migrant and his two boys came in to buy some bread. I told him that we can't sell bread because we need to use it to make sandwiches. He was too poor to buy the whole loaf for fifteen cents, so Al told me to give the loaf to them for free. Imagine my surprise when the man refused the offer and insisted on paying for ten cents worth of bread! His self-reliance stood out to me as a testament to the determination of migrants to retain their autonomy, despite the hardships of moving to an unknown land. This encounter made me cast doubt on the truck drivers'  rumors that migrants are thieves. I decided to sell him the entire loaf for ten cents and discounted some peppermint candy for his sons. The shocked and happy expressions on the children's faces made me feel all warm and cozy inside. I now realize that going out of our ways to help and provide for the less-fortunate is important in order to foster a sense of unity in our community. My experience today ties into a story I heard about a wealthy Cadillac-driver who recklessly crashed into a migrant family's jalopy, killing a kid. When the well-off exploit the poor and treat them as lesser beings, then people are divided into groups instead of coming together. When people are in opposition, then humans become obstacles to each other rather than resources. This fracturing of the community is detrimental if people are to improve their lives because cooperation with each other can create change. For example, after the migrant family left, some hunky truck drivers left two half-dollars as a tip! The kind karma that I received because of my charitable act altered my treatment of migrants for the better.

Mae