donation

There’s a woman in my town who seems to be everywhere. She is of indeterminate age, and whether she’s at the Metro or the farmers market, she asks passersby for money. Sometimes she sells the homeless newspaper. She usually talks in a kind of sad, downbeat monotone.

News reports have captured the magnitude of the devastation left by "superstorm" Sandy.  The impact continues to increase as word begins to spread of personal loss and tragedy.  A dire tale that I fear will grow worse in the coming days and weeks:

Anybody who knows me personally or has read what I write realizes that while I make a sport out of pinching pennies, I don't condone being a cheapskate when it comes to giving to charity or helping those in need. 

Of the millions affected by the earthquake and tsunami, that hit Japan nearly two weeks ago, its  seniors were the worst hit.