The other day I got to thinking about the haves and the have-nots in our society and what really separates them, as two differing groups. I mean, we are all people that come from the same source. On the scientific level, we all have similar DNA. On the spiritual hand, we all come from God, Divine Mother,Gaia, the Universal Force, or whatever you wish to refer to "IT" as.

This reminds me of an astonishing event that took place when I was first going to college in Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara is a very beautiful place, and I felt lucky to just be there, let alone attend Community College there. I quickly learned about the layers of society of that seaside community. There are the extremely wealthy people, or what is called “old money”—people who inherited their wealth. Then there are the entrepenuers –those who have earned their money through great ideas, inventions, or even arts or handicrafts. Then there is the average working folk, followed by the students, who are followed then by the homeless people, both sane and insane. This is how I learned to see Santa Barbara: as an ocean of contradictions and opposites, of contrasts and various shades of beauty in the lavish and in the stark. The first time I really became aware of this sharp difference in society was when I was eating at an expensive restaurant. I was a “starving student”, and would save up the money to go out to a nice dinner every other month. One evening, while happily dining at a gorgeous fresh fish eatery, I remember looking up from my plate only to see some very well dressed people looking at me. The look they had on their faces seemed to say to me, ‘Why on earth would you come to our establishment dressed like that. You clearly do not belong here, in our world.’ It was a most uncomfortable feeling, to say the least, but my insecurities vanished in a heartbeat, when I looked past the “snobby” people out the window just in time to see a homeless woman dressed in rags walk by pushing a shopping cart. As she passed, she felt me looking at her, and when she turned and looked into my eyes, I smiled at her. She paused for an instant and smiled. The kindness in her eyes at that moment said to me, “Good for you, honey. You belong anywhere you please. Thank you for taking the time to notice me and to acknowledge that I exist. Many people just ignore me.” I felt an overwhelming urge reach out to that woman, but I never saw her again, in spite of my best efforts to locate her. However, because of that experience, I became more aware of homeless people and made the decision to give leftover food or buy food specifically with the purpose of giving it to those that don’t have anything to eat. Whether I ate at an expensive restaurant, or at a fast food joint, I started practicing this, and I have carried this habit with me ever since. I am thankful for the opportunity to help others in need, and the majority of the time, they are thankful for my thoughtfulness.