I was sitting on a guard rail late one night waiting for my husband to call a cab for us to get home after we locked the keys in the car.

A homeless man carrying a paper bag/bottle approached and sat next to me. I watched people pass us by. They looked at him with disgust and made a wide path around him - I guess to avoid getting "cooties." Every single person did that to him.

After a while, he turned to me and said "It's not easy." He told me about how he lost his wife and kids when his home burned to the ground. Alcohol relieves his pain. There is no training program to bring back his beloved wife and kids or give him back his home.

Doesn't society encourage alcohol? I even see scientific research touting the health benefits of drinking alcohol. It is advertised as a way to socialize, relax and get away from it all.

Does anyone find it appropriate to blame this man for his condition in life? Can any of you guarantee it won't happen to you?

Even with drugs. It is highly encouraged - i.e., if you're sad, anxious, or just having a bad day - take a pill to make it all go away. If you're running too fast, take a pill to make you slow down. If you're running too slow, take a pill to make you go faster.

Declaring one legal and another illegal doesn't take away from the danger of abuse.