Feeling Incredibly Guilty

And it’s not even my fault.

I’ve been promising Tanner that I would stop at the local Bearclaw coffee shop one morning on our way to school. Every time I stop and get a coffee they put a little Tootsie Roll on top which I give to Tanner for a special little early morning treat.

Well today, after a couple weeks of promises, I finally stopped even though we were running a little behind. I just thought he’d enjoy the treat, and I wouldn’t mind a mocha on the first official day of Fall.

I’m sure you’ve guessed it by now, but they didn’t have any Tootsie Rolls. And we were running behind as it was so I couldn’t stop anywhere to make it up to him. I promised him that I’d have a nice surprise for him when he got home tonight, and he was totally cool about it, but man do I feel incredibly guilty about the way that played out.

Filed under: Coffee, Guilt

Have You Seen These Men?

You know the guys I’m talking about. They’re there every year around this time. They are standing outside seemingly every single store in the world, bundled up, and ringing a bell.

To date I’ve never had one ask me for anything. Usually they just smile and greet me as I rush past them. But I know they’re there for my money. I can feel it. Why else would they have that little bucket? And for most of my life I felt very guilty as I walked by them.

That was until last year when it hit me, I have nothing to be guilty about. I give a lot of money to charities as well as to my church. Just because someone is standing there asking doesn’t mean that’s the place I have to chose to support at that time. It’s not that I don’t support what they are doing (although I do wonder if guilt-driven charity is a healthy practice), it’s just that I used to hate feeling guilty, as though I was kicking a homeless person by not dropping a few quarters in their bucket. But not any more!

So when you seen these kind people the next time you’re out shopping for bread, don’t feel guilty, just give them a smile and be on your way—that is unless you don’t give anything to anybody. In that case you’re a selfish bum, and should feel guilty.

Filed under: Charity, Christmas, Giving, Guilt, Salvation Army