contrast

for two consecutive days there was a carpenter at my parents' place making all sorts of things:  benches and tables and these ceiling stuff and mini-chairs, etc.

the carpenter came to my dad to ask for work and like the other times he's done so before, my dad had a lot of things for him to do.

my dad actually has so many things he wants done, and i mean SO MANY.  from the time i was young up to now when i'm over half a century old, he's always had these projects, big, small plus everything else in between.  big?  think mountain top.  BIG.  small?  half a dozen tables.  in between?  planting 20, 30, 40, 50 this and that here and there.

he's in his mid-80s and he hasn't run out of things he wants done, by himself, me (waaahhh!) or someone you'll have to hire.

anyway, that is not the point of my story, hehe.  it is that this old carpenter comes to my dad to ask for work.  i admire that.

there's this other guy, so much younger, so much healthier, so much stronger, and he knocks at my parents' gate to ask for money.  yeah, he'd fake this cough then ask for money.  one time he was at the gate as i was about to enter and i smelled liquor!  could you imagine!

i believe in alms-giving but not to this type of people.  so strong and yet so mendicant!

and he asks regularly.  how regular?  one time he came over and my mom muttered, 'he hasn't been here in a while...'

my sister went:  'what are you talking about?  he was just here last week!'

mom:  'but he didn't show up for several days...'

aaarrrggghhhh!

they tolerate him so he just keeps on doing it.  he's been at it for years!

me, i won't tolerate something like that.  unless you're sick or frail or incapacitated, i'd rather that you learn how to fish than regularly ask for fish.