The Tale of Two Emotions

So I was walking down Clarendon Street on Sunday morning on my way to work, when a care free man, with a whistle on his lips looked at me and said, "Looking very sharp today young man".  I responded with a flattered, "thank you!"  I only thought that things like that happened to Christina... cuz she's kind of  pretty-ish.  So for someone to just compliment me on my appearance completely shocked me, in a good way.  

Then, 10 seconds later, with an uncontrolled grin on my face, an old woman, her face wrapped with a scarf, extended her hands towards me begging for change.  I went from sublimely flattered to pitifully disheartened in a just a couple of eye lid blinks.  

When I arrived at work, I told my manager the story, and he just didn't seem to care.  I think you had to experience this drastic shift in emotion to understand it.  I was so excited to be endowed with the same spring in my step as the man that complimented me, but then reality was spit right back into my face.  It was as if I wasn't allowed to experience joy for myself for any longer than 10 seconds.  I dress well.  I eat well.  I sleep on a pillow top mattress.  And other people are suffering, and I am never allowed to forget that.