A man who used to work in an office in a big building downtown used the subway everyday for his commute. He was lucky enough to live in a city where public transportation works relatively well and this allowed him to walk a little every day, it was good exercise 
everyday too. He would pass an old man who used to beg on a corner and everyday he would give him some coins, in one occasion he even gave him a bill. This daily ritual repeated itself until one day when the man had no coins and no bills, for the first time he was barely making ends meet. “I work hard for my money and I deserve a prize from time to time” he thought as he was buying that pair of gorgeous and expensive Italian shoes on which he had spent much more than he used to. He didn’t expect to be ambushed by all the emotions that he felt when he saw the old man and wasn’t able to give him any money. Surprise was the first emotion, surprise when he realized it was the corner where the old man used to be and that he couldn’t help him today. Shame was the second, shame when he tried to go back on his steps but they gaze of the old man crossed his own, who, upon seeing him, smiled, just a little. The third one was rage, the rage that he felt with the old man for making him feel ashamed, after all, it wasn’t his duty to give him money. Sadness was the fourth the sadness that the old man shared with him when the man told him “I don’t have money today old man, can’t you see I bought this gorgeous and expensive shoes and spent it all?” that’s when the smile on the old man’s face turned into a frown of extreme sorrow. So great why the sadness in the old man’s face that the fifth emotion was curiosity, because by no means the amount that he used to give him could mean so much to him to cause this much pain. “Easy old chap, I’ll double it next time, don’t be sad, I owe you” he told him trying comfort him. The old man answered “What makes me sad is seeing myself, you know, I was you once, but somebody stole all my money and I ended up here, in the street
begging for money to survive.” The man was outraged, his sixth emotion, and said “that’s horrible, did you catch him? Did he escape? Why didn’t you get any of it back?” The old man answered serenely “He didn’t escape, as a matter of fact I see him all the time, the man who stole all my money and no I couldn’t get any of it back because he spend it all, every last cent.” The man felt his seventh emotion, disbelief. “How come you can see him everyday?” he said “at least tell me who he is so I can give him a piece of my mind, he cannot steal and not be punished” The old man stood up and stood tall, put his hand on the man’s shoulder and said “the thief who took all my money and left me begging on the streets is me, it was me because I didn’t save when I was young like you, for having spent it on shoes, travels, cars and restaurants, like you. That’s that’s why I was so sad to see you today with no money, because this will be the first of many days like that. You don’t owe me anything, but you owe yourself you owe the old man you will be one day.” The last motion of the men she was taking the old man’s hand in his was gratefulness.
