I am sorry. Sorry for not having the decency to look you in the eye as I drove by. You deserve respect and I was ignorant enough to believe that if I didn't pay attention to your state of being, that the problem would not exist. I do have sympathy for you and I wish I was in a financial state where I could make a significant difference in your life. My whole life people have always told me that homeless people are often drug abusers, people who put it on themselves. Maybe you are one of those people, but I no longer believe that is the case for many of the homeless.

I believe in hard work and picking yourself back up. I also understand that you can play life by the books your whole life and still end up homeless and hopeless. For many homeless people, lack of hard work is not the issue. It is lack of opportunity or assistance. Where I draw the line, however, is placing the blame on working citizens who pay their weight in society. If they chose to not help those of lesser fortune, that is on their conscience and we should not vilify them.

I am afraid that if I were to look you in the eye, that I would see myself in you. Maybe that makes me a terrible person. I am terrified that I will study hard in school, do everything right, stay away from drugs and still end up in the same boat that you are in now. If I weren't a struggling college student, I would like to think I would buy you a nice meal or even a suit and a nice haircut to heighten your chances of getting a job and being able to support yourself.

Sadly, too many people with the kind of money to make this kind of change look down on you as if they are immune to this unfortunate outcome. Should people with money just hand things to you? No. Should you be given the opportunity to rise above your financial barriers in order to have a fighting chance to sustain yourself? Most definitely.

So when I look away as I drive by, please do believe it is because I am looking down on you. It is quite the opposite. I hate myself for not helping you and I look away because I am ashamed of myself. I am ashamed of my country for ignoring you and making you look like lazy, careless people. If only the hands that fate blessed with fortune and opportunity could lose the pride and shake your hand. I sure hope things change. I wish only the best.