Valerie's Reflections

    For the past three weeks, i had learnt many things from the past three CID lessons i had. Personally, i feel that i have learnt the most from the second lesson, the lesson on photography. Before i learnt about the backgrounds of these beggars, all i thought was that they were poor and they had to beg in order to survive. I wondered why they didn't choose to work and had to beg. However after i learnt about the man in the first picture being handicapped, i thought differently. I was wondering why he was not able to find a proper and legitimate job to earn a fixed pay, instead, he chose to beg on the streets and hope for passers-by to help him get back on his feet again. Perhaps, its just my point of view but i felt that he could still get back on his feet again, without his stolen pushcart, if he tried hard enough and worked towards it. He could read and write, so he should not waste his life by begging on the streets. The lady in the second picture was carrying a young child, so it was easy to comprehend why she did not decide to work. However, after her background was read out, i wondered why she wanted to join that syndicate of beggars in the first place if her share of money was little. Wouldn't she be able to earn more money by begging if she worked on her own? Moreover, she could also find a simple job with a fixed pay if she tried hard enough to. The simple jobs would probably include washing of dishes or cleaning up tables, which in the meantime, she could take care of her child.
    Though this lesson, i learnt not to judge one before we know more about them, do not judge a book by its cover. We never know what the story behind the photo is all about. I felt that this lesson was very meaningful as it taught us not to be so judgmental and to accept others. We may not know the stories behind their actions so we should not just judge them based on what they do.