Wednesday,November 25th, 2009I cried today on the way to work. For those of you that know me, the fact that I cried isn’t really that big a surprise. 
I cry a lot – the usual stuff – sad movies, Grey’s Anatomy most weeks, that stupid PSA with Sarah McLachlan about animal cruelty. This morning it was because when I got on the train to go to work, there was a homeless woman on the seat across from me. Now maybe in other cities, the sight of a homeless person on a train may not be that big a deal, but in the leafy suburbs outside of Denver, this is not such a common occurrence.
The woman was asleep, hanging off the bench and I was hesitant to wake her, but I was terrified that she’d fall off the seat and hurt herself. The two women that boarded the train with me watched as well, not sure what to do. At the next stop, a young woman boarded the train, sat with us and immediately asked if any of us had tried to wake the woman. We told her no – what we didn’t say was that we weren’t sure that we wanted to get involved. I volunteer tons of hours to raise money for the Food Bank of the Rockies – heck I’m on the Network for the Needy Committee for PCMA and yet when faced with a real, live situation I froze.
The young woman gently tapped the woman on the shoulder, and asked if she was okay. She then began a conversation with her that lasted the rest of the train ride. Turns out that the woman wasn’t “going anywhere” she was simply riding the train trying to stay warm on this cold morning. On this day before Thanksgiving, while we were all grumbling about having to go to work, she had nowhere to go.
Before getting off the train to go to school, the girl gave the woman her gloves – a small offering, but necessary. I realized that the woman might get kicked off the train if she was caught riding without a ticket, so I gave her a few of mine. One of the other ladies gave her a few dollars to get a cup of coffee. She was so grateful for a little help, but I think what she appreciated most of all was the conversation. We all had tears in our eyes.
No matter what your politics, there is nothing more painful to see at the holidays than someone with no plans, no family, and no hope. So while you are enjoying this special time of year with those that you love, I encourage you to build in some time to help someone less fortunate. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, buy presents for children that otherwise might not get a visit from Santa, just say good morning to the person you would normally walk by without noticing. After all, isn’t that what the spirit of the season is all about?
Happy Holidays!
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Debbi began her Experient career in January 2000 as an Account Executive in the Denver office and was promoted to Senior Account Executive in January 2004. In October 2006, she was promoted to Director Strategic Account Management in the Denver Office. In August 2008, she was promoted to her current position of Vice President, Strategic Account Management for both the Denver and Cleveland teams. She has worked with three of the company’s largest accounts as well as other association and corporate meetings and oversees a team of eight. She began her hotel career in 1990 as a Sales Manager for the then brand new Summerfield Suites Hotel chain. Subsequent jobs included Director of Sales and Marketing at Marriott Residence Inn and National Sales Manager for the Inverness Hotel & Golf Club. She has been involved in the Rocky Mountain Chapter of PCMA since 1995, serving as Communication Committee Chair for three years and as a Board Member for two years. She served as Vice President in 2002 and President in 2003. In 2000, she received the Award of Dedication from the chapter and in 2004 received the Outstanding Service to the Chapter Award. She was also the Chairperson of the RMCMA 2005 All Hearts Auction and was a member of the PCMA National 2005, 2006, and 2007 Annual Meeting Program Committees, and served as Vice Chair of the Annual Meeting Program Committee in 2008. She is currently serving on the PCMA National Network for the Needy Committee and is Marketing Chair of the Colorado Network for the Needy Committee. In July of 2009, she was elected to the Executive Board of the Meetings Industry Council of Colorado, serving as Secretary. Debbi hails from the Garden State of New Jersey where she graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in English and Communications. She has been married to Todd since 1996 and is the proud stepmother of Jessica and Christopher. In her free time, she enjoys sports, movies, wine and an unfortunate addiction to "reality television". |
[...] You find the original post here experiente4blog.com/ … | Debbi Beldon, CMP [...]
Such an important message & I truly agree that the conversation – the fact that she was noticed and respected – means the most as the homeless are often walking “ghosts”. The act of kindness is so rewarding for both sides.
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