by Dr. Boyce Watkins
A video came across our desk of a homeless man who was deceived into thinking that he’d just won the lottery. Of course, first glance makes you think, “What a horrible trick to play on anybody, let alone someone who is already struggling.”
But the video isn’t negative in any way, and is actually somewhat touching. In the video, the “prankster” offers a homeless man a winning lottery ticket as a gift, but tells him that he doesn’t know how much he won. After going into the store, he finds out that it’s quite a bit more than he expected. That’s when the magic happens.
This video reminds us of a couple of things: Giving is always better than receiving. Some say that giving is not an investment, but that’s not true. Actually, it makes perfect sense to make investments of the heart.
Secondly, it reminds us of the millions of homeless people across the country, many of them black, who are suffering from undiagnosed mental illness. I won’t say that this is the case with the man in this video, but we know that it happens far more than many of us are willing to admit. I am especially touched whenever I see a homeless person, because it reminds me of my deceased older brother/uncle figure who died last year. He was homeless until his last days, when he was run over by a truck, dragged 70 feet, paralyzed from the waste down and died from a series of infections three years later.
The homeless man’s reaction to the gift he’d just been given reminds me of the very same reaction that my older brother had when I dedicated my first book to him a decade ago (“Everything you ever wanted to know about college”). Despite his struggles, I gave him credit for being there for me since I was a baby and noted the many ways his love and loyalty inspired me growing up.
When I reflect on that moment 10 years ago, I realize that the reason my older brother cried when I dedicated my book to him is because there are some people who are so beaten down by the world, so abused, so heavily criticized and disregarded, that it touches them when any of us shows a single act of kindness and appreciation. I think he was happy that he played such a prominent role in producing an educated black man. I will thank him for this for all eternity.
So, the moral of the story? Go out and do something nice for someone: It’s a powerful investment of the heart.
Take a watch above.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a professor at Syracuse University and author of the book, “Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets with Your Partner in Ways that Feel Good.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
