A video of a boy cleaning windshields on the street began circulating widely again.
This time, a driver rolled down the window and gave him money in recognition of his effort. The little boy’s smile became the focus of thousands of comments.
For some, the gesture is a simple example of empathy: valuing someone else’s work, regardless of the age of the person doing it. For others, that applause hides something uncomfortable: normalizing the fact that a child has to earn a day’s living by cleaning windows at a traffic light.
The phenomenon is not new — it is repeated on streets throughout Latin America and always raises the same uncomfortable question.
What would you do: would you give him a tip or think about something more urgent to address?