Don't walk on by

He stands there with his red vest on and tripod with tin can swinging back and forth. It clinks each time a coin is dropped in and rattles with the wind. I retrieve a handful of coins from my wallet and drop each one in the slot. Clang, clang, clang. The man then offers me a flyer and I take it, bidding him a nice day and head into work.

At lunch my companion drops some coins in the tin can and the man thanks her.

Others just walk on by. Their instincts don't scream out like mine did. They don't tell them to take out their wallet and help those in need. A few coins, a small pink note, anything that can help those who are struggling.

And then at the cinema today, an ad comes on for The Salvation Army. More than 6,000 children will be bullied this Christmas for being poor and not having the same possessions as their friends.

It got me thinking about all those people who just walked on by that man in the city recently. Next time you see a Salvation Army collector, I hope you don't look at your phone and pretend you are too important to care.