I walk to work each morning. It’s only four blocks, but I never fail to see something that makes me think, laugh, or wonder. Today, just a half block from my house, I found tears instead. This cardboard sign once belonged to one of the many homeless people who live under the overpass by my house. They beg at almost every corner, but most people just keep walking/driving/ignoring. It’s mind-blowing. What happened to the concept of community?

The sign was laying in the gutter. I didn’t move a thing, just took a snapshot and kept walking. A few hours later, I conducted my long-awaited interview with a local organization that fights homelessness, and come the new year I’m proud to say I should be working as a volunteer housing specialist. Maybe with some luck and hard work, we’ll have less need for signs like this one.