The other afternoon, while walking down Broadway, I saw a disheveled looking young woman, plastic cup in hand, silently begging passers-by for money. Despite her appearance, there was something both  intelligent and suffering in her countenance. I made an immediate  partial identification with her and thought:” there but for fortune go I”. I decided to put some money in her cup; but as I approached something strange happened– her cell phone began ringing. It was in her back pocket ;  she put the cup down then half twisted around to retrieve the phone just as I was about to put some money her in cup. I had to laugh. It wasn’t just any cell phone; it was an i -Phone 6!. It was an incongruous sight indeed.  It certainly was a fancier phone than mine.  Was it stolen?  Who knows?  The point being I was now conflicted about giving her money.  Not because she had a better cell phone but because her back was turned to me and I felt awkward waiting for her to turn around, pick up the cup and look at me. If I were to give her money, I wanted something in return–eye contact and a ‘thank you’. I put the change back in my pocket and continued walking.