Heart of glass, heart of stone
by Bob on October 9, 2007
I was in a meeting today. We were discussing many things, societal issues, and the poor and afflicted.
At one point, a documentary video was shown about the homeless. And the good work of some people and organisations for homeless, afflicted, and poor people.
In the documentary, it was said that everyday is a crisis day for a homeless person, and that the homeless are treated as and feel like they are transparent to society-at-large. That they don't exist.
This is so true. It was very touching.
Feeling transparent is not a good thing. Unless you're the Invisible Man in the book (and I'm not altogether sure he was happy being invisible), or Gyges in the ancient Greek legends.
Being ignored is not a good thing, when someone is crying out for help.
So we arrive at the song titles "Heart of Stone" by the Rolling Stones and "Heart of Glass" by the band Blondie. Both opposite poles. A heart of glass shatters easily whereas a heart of stone cannot be broken and is cold.
The homeless, despite our seemingly cruel refutations, are mirrors of ourselves. Their eyes tell us how kind we are, or how cruel we are, or how apathetic we are.
Transparency of being is horrible in this sense, and others apathy is lethal.
We are wise to remember that "there but for the grace of God go I" or even the story of the Good Samaritan or even simply the Golden Rule.
Were it so, we would have no homeless, poor, or abandoned afflicted people abandoned to their own inadequate devices to even attempt to live.
As Villon wrote, ah, but for the snows of yesteryear.