Deborah Bilezikian: Music

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One night, as my band wandered into a late-night dive diner, famous in Baltimore, an older, obviously homeless man asked us for money. There is a long-running debate in our community about whether or not to support panhandling....some say that the people asking for money will be buying drugs or alchohol...Mark Steiner had a whole show about it, exposing the fact that many times, the homeless are simply hungry, or want to purchase supplies for living outside. This song is a reflection on this dilemma that kind-hearted people face when asked on the street for money. As we were leaving, the man was indeed sitting inside of the diner with carefully arranged stacks of coins, just enough to buy a meal.

Oftentimes, when I sing this song at a gig, or open-mic, someone will come up to me afterwards to talk about an incident, or many that they've faced in Baltimore. There is a homeless villlage, complete with tents and a drop off spot for supplies at the base of I-83 that is an extremely painful testament to this shameful reality that exists in one of the wealthiest countries of the world.