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CROSSROADS

November 9, last year, at the intersection of EDSA and Timog.

I waited for the light to turn green. Up ahead, I saw a little boy, around 10 or 12 years old, begging for money.I noticed that he was pretty well-dressed for someone begging money. He had a clean white polo, khaki shorts, socks and rubber shoes. He also carried a plastic lunchbox. He soon came over to my car. Feeling generous because it was my birthday, I decided to give him whatever spare change was in my car only to discover that I had no more coins! I looked into my pocket of my polo shirt and saw that I had a twenty peso bill. I rolled down my window and gave it to the kid. As I rolled up my window, the kid quickly said, "Salamat po!" (Thank you).

He took two steps away from my car and then came back. He knocked on my window. So, I rolled down my window again and find out what he had to say. He smiled and said in Filipino, "You know why I'm asking for money today? I don't normally do this. It's because today is my birthday!"

"Today is my birthday, too!" I said.

"Happy birthday!" we greeted each other. And I shook his hand.

The light turned green and I had to go.

As I drove off, all the problems of work and with publishing my comic book just went away. I was just overwhelmed by that particular moment, that briefest of encounters.

I'd like to think that God was trying to tell me something-- that I should stop complaining and consider myself a very lucky boy. Yet somehow, I know that my meeting that boy meant more than that. A year later, I'm still not sure what it was all about. I guess the encounter with that boy gives me hope, lets me try and smile about something everyday, somehow lets me know that it's going to be a great day, a great week, a great year.







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