Food (or lack thereof) for thought

Normally in this column I go pretty light and try to find some of the humor in our daily New Eastside activities. “He who laughs lasts” has always been one of my guiding principals. But not this month. In our city’s coldest hours, I take a slightly different tone.

It started innocently enough on a chilly, but otherwise bright and sunny, Saturday afternoon stroll down Michigan Avenue. I observed something that made me uncomfortable, a sight that I am sure many of you have seen numerous times.

What I saw  was a group of Chicago citizens sitting on the pavement in the cold weather, clearly homeless, looking for any kind of handout of food or money.  Another group was right next to them — and I mean literally right next to them — dining inside a nice restaurant, separated only by a thin pane of glass.

They were less than a stone’s throw away from each other, but as far as lifestyle and circumstance, they might as well have been miles apart.

No moralizing here, it is just an uncomfortable observation.

On a related note, I was more than pleased to read New Eastside News’ recent story about New Eastside for Charity, an organization dedicated to helping the area’s homeless population, founded by a group of our neighbors.

The organization has already had one successful clothing drive.  Here’s to hoping that with the help of many of our readers, this organization will grow and progress over the years — maybe  even to the point where, in the future, that thin pane of glass won’t separate us as much.

Cohn-Fucious quote for the month: “It is better to light one candle, than to curse the darkness.”