Today was a sad day.

I was at the grocery store this afternoon doing errands for my mom and the man two rows in front of me was having trouble. Apparently, he didn't have enough money with him, and judging from his clothes, you'd understand why. He was looking through his groceries and one by one he handed it back to the scowling cashier. Most of the food items were the basic stuff: cooking oil, coffee, noodles, etc. With a lot of flair, the cashier scanned them back until almost all of his planned purchases were returned. He must not be that smart, as well, because he was having difficulty calculating the food prices to the money he had. It was the most heart-breaking scene I ever witnessed first-hand and it took a lot of effort on my part to stop myself from crying right there on the spot. Until now the scene still brings tears to my eyes. I was so pissed off with the cashier and the woman behind me who kept muttering side comments. God forbid that that ever happens to them. Poverty and its petty humiliations should always be looked on with compassion, not with contempt.

At the same time I resisted the urge to offer my money to pay for them. Looking back, I don't know what stopped me. I should have, you know. I had more than enough with me. Now, my mind is going crazy thinking of possible situations happening at his home. It's dinner time. Was that supposed to be his family's dinner? What are they going to eat now?