I checked into my hotel room, hungry and tired. The hotel receptionist suggested a local restaurant for lunch, so I drove the short distance and ordered my food. All the while my mind drifted to the man at the intersection. Who was that guy? What's his story?
Like most who pass this man, I assumed he was a war veteran but have been around the block enough times to realize he could be playing on the sympathies of the unknowing. I asked the hotel's desk clerk if she knew the guy's story; she said she didn't, but said, "he's out there every day." That told me he was probably homeless......but it didn't stop me from grabbing my camera and walking the tenth of a mile to meet him.
I approached the man and engaged him in conversation. Upon asking where he lost his legs and where he served, I figured out quickly he wasn't a war veteran but he seemed to have a voice for those who have served. I was right in my assumption about his homelessness and "begging" for money, yet when a car stopped and offered him a dollar, he asked me to hold it. When I tried to give it back to him, he replied, "Nah man, give it to your church. I just want people to be aware of what our forgotten soldiers go through. I ain't in this for the money."
I held his dollar and listened to him preach to me about everything from Obama's imperialism to the evil that befell the Roman Empire. For several minutes I struggled to follow what he was telling me or the message he was trying to convey. Maybe he was enjoying having someone to talk to other than a passing motorist. Or perhaps in his mind everything he was talking about made sense. Regardless, this man touched me in some strange, primal way. He called himself, "Everysoldier."
At the end of the day, I know he was hustling a buck, but he wasn't a stupid man by any means. He was a man who had a message, no matter how discombobulated it was, and was determined to tell his tale. Was it his albatross? I don't know......but I listened, and I'm glad I did.
That's why we all love you Howard....always making time to hear everyone's story! What a great story it is!
ReplyDeleteGreat story, Howard. We all have our story to tell, but, usually no one has the time or the inclination to listen.
ReplyDeleteLOVE this!!!!
ReplyDeleteJust when I think good listeners are a dying breed, I read a story like this. There's so much to learn by really listening to others. Good story! I enjoyed meeting you today at the Write Stuff" Conference. Hope it was rewarding for you.
ReplyDeleteDebra, thank you so much for the nice comments. It was a pleasure meeting you this weekend. The Write Stuff Conference was a wonderful experience.
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