Life Giving 5: Not Giving Up

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I walked to work on Wednesday. It is 3.3 miles and I enjoyed the walk very much. I left about 4:45 when the tree lined streets were still quiet and the air was delightfully cool.

I was lost in my thoughts so I barely noticed a solitary car coming toward me rather erratically, often on the wrong side of the street. I soon realized that this was a man throwing the morning newspaper. Nothing unusual about that.

I looked more closely as he turned right in front of me. The car was a late model family sedan - not the usual car a newspaper man would drive. The driver tossing the papers lacked the finesse and speed of a pro.

I suspect this was a man who had lost a good job (or perhaps his business) and could not find an equivalent new job. He carefully looked at what was available and this was it.

So he took it.

I wonder who watched him make that decision: wife, kids, neighbors, former workmates, golf buddies … I suspect some people were embarrassed for him. Others probably criticized him.

I hope someone was life giving by acknowledging to him that he had only bad choices to choose from. I hope they commended him for doing the best he could with what he had. That kind of a pat on the back goes a long way when someone is a bit down.

Copyright by Arthur Burk

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