Superhero

For the last 3 months I've been without a state ID. And since I don't drive I really have a need for that Identification card. So today I was finally able to go down to the DMV to get that card.
While I was there, a homeless man was also getting his ID. He was barefoot,  in a pink shirt and beige shorts that hug past his knees. His tanned face was linned and half covered in a bushy beard that was the same shaggy salt and pepper color as his hair. He was very quite and needed some help filling out his forms. Which a worker was.

I paid for my ID and as I was finishing taking my photo I overheard the worker, a woman, asking him if he had $6 to pay for his id. The man didn't.  He looked nervous and scared, standing there wringing his hands not knowing how he was going to pay for his ID.

There were other people standing in line waiting for their turn, but all of them pretended not to see his need. They were either looking at the ceiling or the floor or their phones. Looking everywhere but this man, and listening to every word.

I walked over to her pulled out my debit card, handed it to the her and told her that I would pay for his ID just as she was asking him if he had a friend or family member who could loan him the money.

She looked stunned and asked me if I was sure I wanted to pay for his ID.

I nodded, looked at him and smiled. "Don't worry," I said to him "I got this." He stood there looking at me with tears in his eyes. His beard trembled as he softly thanked me over and over again. I smiled at him and nodded. And patted him on the shoulder.

The worker rang me up for his ID and gave me the biggest smile. "You are so sweet." She told me as she handed me the slip to sign.

I looked at the man again, patted him on the shoulder once more and told him to have a good day grabbed my temp ID and left. I didn't even learn his name.

The moral of the story is that eveyone there had a equal chance to help him. But no one did.
It made me feel so bad that when someone was in need no one stood up to take responsibility to help.
I would hope that if I ever needed help that someone would come to my rescue.
I also hope that the people who watched and did nothing will see that small, tiny act of kindness and pay it forward. 
$6 to me is not that big of a deal. And I didnt pay for him to be thanked.
But knowing that I helped someone  when they really needed it made me feel good.
And i know that $6 to that man may very well have been a hundred.
I'm glad that I had to go to the DMV today. I'm thankful that I was there to help someone who needed it.
I'm no superhero but today I felt like one.