Side of the Road

I have pondered as I saw both a man and a woman walking to each other, then to different directions, both in different situations with differences that is easy to spot.

The woman walks confidently along the side of the road, with her earrings dangling and her stilletos sounding against the concrete ground. Everyone is looking at her with admiration— her beauty and success seemed like it could be sniffed from her expensive perfume. She wears a beautiful smile, with hope for a good day.

Whilst the man was wearing shabby clothes, carrying a bunch of boxes. In just one look, you would be able to deduce that he came from humble origins and his economic status. He reeks of sun and sweat... yet there is a smile on his face as he walk along the side of the road while carrying the boxes excitedly, as if he won some kind of lottery. He was shining with ecstacy— joy so pure and raw that came from such simple things in life.

It was such a curious moment in my life. And I watched the scene as their silhouettes started to blur in the crowd. And I watched how people regard the woman and the man: one was treated by admiration and respect... whilst the other was treated with disgust, condemn, and doubt... yet he still wears such beautiful smile in his face, not caring about what people think of him as he treaded upon the road going to somewhere, maybe home, and his smile never faltered, even for a millisecond, until he was nowhere to be found.

I feel so sad as I watched the woman and the man yet feels comforted and strange and there's hope blossoming in my chest... That, maybe, if ever I couldn't reach the goals I have... I will be alright. We are alright... We will be alright.

That no matter what status we will have later on in life, joy will come.

But the serenity and enlightenment I felt melted when I heard someone say something outrageous about the man... She was talking with a friend and said, "Look at that man. I just can't with someone like him loitering around here. What if he pickpockets or something? My gosh."

Her friend says, "Girl, don't say that without something to really based on. He was just passing by and his hands are full of those boxes. How could he even steal or something?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Duh. I still don't trust people like him. If only he put some effort in his life, maybe he won't end up like that, right?"

Effort... Did the man not really tried to make an effort? Did the man not really tried to make a change in his life? What if no matter what... he couldn't? What if there are chains stopping him that made him unable to reach what he wanted to reach?

And is his effort still not enough? His effort of working to put food in the table without being tempted to do things bad? I do not know the man, nor his situation or his struggle. But I do know that he worked hard for what he have... and will continue on working hard because no bad man could ever smile like that while looking at dirty, empty boxes he probably got from a dumpster.

Sometimes, people think that every thing they do should be the best. We have this voluntary mindset that makes us think that we are better— that we put more effort than everyone else.

And that's where we are wrong.

The worst thing is we even put heavy standards of perfection to people who couldn't be the same as we.

And that is wrong.

There are no solid measurement when it comes to effort. Everyone go through something and we go through different processes to put effort into something. Everyone else is a different story that we will never know about because we aren't in their shoes.

That woman worked hard. That man worked hard. They both put effort into something and is happy and contented of what they have. Why should we make the choice of judging them if we don't even know them?

No one gives more. Every circumstances are different and unmeasurable.