“Not being burned by ungiven warmth” — Did we really do the right thing by giving money to that begging granny?

Text by /“Travel Observation Diary from Northern Taiwan”By Tsai Fa-da, Photos by Huang Shih-hua

At Chiayi Railway Station, while waiting for the train, a stooped granny shuffled over with faltering steps, reaching out her hands to every passenger, begging for a sliver of warmth. Her eyes were teary, saliva dripped from her mouth, and she moved at a pace that took her several dozen seconds to cover just 15–20 centimeters.

The granny’s face bore countless expressions of helplessness and pain. When she came up to me, I heard her say, “I really don’t feel well...” Then she sat on a bench for a while before continuing to walk around all the seats. Almost every passenger, myself included, lent a helping hand.

Suddenly, a young man hoisted the granny onto his back and walked out of the station. I and a companion followed them outside, where we saw the young man smoking beside the entrance. The granny took some bills from her pocket and handed them to him, then went to a nearby trash can to continue picking up discarded items.

At that moment, I felt both deep sadness and shock. Two thoughts crossed my mind: “Maybe the granny really needed help, so giving her money was the fastest and most direct form of assistance. But what if she’s being taken advantage of? By helping her, aren’t we telling those who exploit her that vulnerable elderly people are more likely to garner sympathy, causing her to remain trapped in this endless cycle... Are we helping or hurting?”

At that moment, I couldn’t investigate further or presume the deeper background of what I had just witnessed.

Perhaps the focus shouldn’t be on who deserves help more — the granny, the young man, or other groups — nor should we debate whether certain groups truly need assistance. Instead, we should reflect on what’s wrong with our social systems and structures. What has led to certain groups being left so helpless? Beyond offering immediate money or goods, how else can we extend a helping hand?

It may be heavy, but we must admit: “You can pretend not to see the dark clouds, but you can’t stop the rain from falling.”

We all share the responsibility of making the world a better place, using the methods we’re most confident and skilled in, so that the warmth of light doesn’t end up burning.