Many of you. that know me well. know my love and appreciation for walking. It is one of my favorite pastimes for many reasons one of them being the ability to see so much of what’s around us all the time but we miss because we’re busy rushing past it.
Each day as I walk to the coffee shop I encounter a fellow riding a bike delivering bundles of flyers to mailboxes through out the neighborhood. I first noticed him last fall and over the course of time we have developed a “How’s it going?” relationship as we pass each other.
Even though we have never had a conversation, this guy really impressed me. At first glance someone may look at this 40 something guy riding a bike and delivering flyers as someone that could be/should be doing “better”. I mean that’s a job for kids right, not 40 year old adult?
While I don’t know his story and the myriad of decisions that resulted in him performing this “menial” task he’s not sitting at home and wondering what could have been, he’s out making a difference in his life.
While that would be enough to cause me to admire his initiative it didn’t stop there.
As fall gave way to an unusually cold and snowy winter, here was this guy out delivering flyers. In the minus 30 degree temperatures, with frost coating the spokes of his wheels, he was still out there making a difference in his life.
This morning, as per usual, I noticed him approaching the door of a house with a bundle of flyers his bike parked on the sidewalk. He was probably a half block away but I couldn’t help but notice some type of black bag slung over his shoulder. This was new but I figured it was probably similar to a mailbag that he was now using to carry the bundles.
As I continued walking he overtook me from behind and offered our usual morning greetings as he rode past. it was in that moment I got a good look at the black bag.
It didn’t contain bundles of flyers at all, but a bottle of oxygen attached to plastic tubes connected to an oxygen delivery device he wore on his face. Lord knows he had very good reasons for not riding his bike for miles around the neighborhood delivering flyers that day.
Yet here he was, making a difference in his life.
The next time I feel the tendency to look at my external experience and give them the power to choose who I will be and what I will do that day….
I’ll think of my 40 year old friend, his bicycle, the snow, and the oxygen bottle.
And remember that I don’t have a piano tied to my butt.
And get up and make a difference in my life.
Maybe today would be a good day to look at your behind and see what not’s there, then get up and make a difference.