Everyone Ignores Unconscious Homeless Man Lying on the Ground Until Little Boy Approaches Him — Story of the Day

An unconscious homeless man sprawled out on the ground was ignored by everyone else until a little boy regarded as an outcast approached him.

Jay was a 12-year-old boy who lived as an outcast among other kids in his community. This was because he was a very smart kid with a great moral upbringing.

When other kids were playing rough during recess, he preferred to read a good book in the library, which fueled his store of knowledge, leaving a huge intellectual gap between him and his classmates. This caused them to call him names like "geek" and "nerd."

When they played football, he was the last to get picked or was not picked at all — not that he ever volunteered to play, but the coach was determined to involve all students in PE classes.

"You're special, son, they just don't understand that," his mother would tell him whenever he told her about how his coach forced him to play despite his lack of interest.

One morning, Jay left the house to take out the trash. It was a weekend, and he often helped his mother with house chores rather than go out to have fun with the neighborhood kids, most of whom were from his school.

That morning, Jay dragged the black nylon filled with all their refuse over to the sidewalk where the large bin was located for easy access by the pickup vehicle.

He had just hefted the bag into the bin when he caught sight of an old man lying motionless on the ground just across the street from him. Jay walked over to the man and gently called out to him.

"Mister?" he said in his quiet voice. "Mister, are you awake?"

The man did not steer, so Jay returned to his side of the road. After looking back at the man once more, he started walking towards his home but stopped when he heard the jingling of bicycle bells.

He saw his schoolmates cycling to a stop in front of the helpless man. The leader dismounted and used the tip of his shoe to poke the man in the ribs, and when he didn't respond, they all burst into laughter.

"Do you think he's dead?" one of them asked.

"No, look at his chest, he is still breathing," the leader said.

"He stinks!" another boy shouted, holding his nose.

Things quickly escalated when they attempted to kick the man and see who could wake him first. Jay decided it had to stop, so he ran over to them to deter them.

"This is wrong!" he exclaimed. "You should let the man be!"

"Hey guys look, it's the book roach!" the leader shouted. "Come to pick up your dad?" he asked with a cruel smile.

"We both know he is not my dad doofus," Jay said, exasperated.

Jay's father was a war veteran who died in battle before he was born, but his schoolmates often teased him about it, saying the man must have run from home because he had such a nerdy son.

It had hurt Jay at first, but after a while, it stopped hurting and started sounding silly, which is why he easily brushed it off.

"I think this man needs help," he told the group of naughty kids.

"If you don't get out of my way right now, you'll be the one who needs help," the leader said, encouraged by his stooges.

Things were starting to look tense when Jay heard a man's voice behind him. It was his neighbor, Mr. Monjack. "What's going on here?" the big bear of a man asked. He was about 6'4, and many people called him Winnie because he was pleasant and gentle — just like Winnie the Pooh.

"These boys want to harm the homeless because they think he stinks," Jay said.

"That's human cruelty for you, Jay," the neighbor said before facing the boys. "You boys better skedaddle before I start knocking your brains together."

He didn't need to repeat himself before they all hopped on their bikes and raced away. After they left, Mr. Monjack called an ambulance for the homeless man.

Jay's mother, who was a nurse, was one of those who attended to the man when he was brought in. Apparently, he had pneumonia and could have died had he not received medical help.

"I heard from Mr. Monjack that you were instrumental in getting that man to the hospital. I'm very proud of you," Jay's mother praised him later that day.

On his birthday a few weeks later, Jay learned that the homeless man, Mark, had started working as a repairman at the hospital. The man believed he had gotten another chance at life, so he got a job and began to return to normal life.

He was present for Jay's birthday, and he gave him the latest edition of his favorite comic to thank him for his selflessness.

What did we gain from this story?

• Give praise where it's due. When Jay's mother learned about his selfless act, she was very proud of him and praised him for doing the right thing. She has been raising him with high moral standards, and now that he knows that good deeds attract praises, it is very likely that he will continue doing them all throughout his life.
• Do not follow the crowd to do evil. Jay stood up for the homeless man even when his friends threatened to harm him for doing so; he did not fold and join them. He had no reason to do this, especially since the man was a stranger to him. However, he refused to let harm come to the man. He expected nothing in return but was rewarded later by the man who thought he deserved something for his efforts, and that is the very essence of life.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a doctor who called on his acquaintances to help save a homeless old woman's life.

This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.