Witness to the goodness of people

So today's entry is something unexpected. I went to work today and met a man that touched my life. But more than just him and his dog coming in to share his experience, was the opportunity it gave to think outside of myself and see the goodness in the people around me. I opened the store today and things were busy as usual. Lots to do, and sometimes begrudgingly so. I was called up to the front because someone wanted to speak to a manager. I was the only staff there, and I will be honest, I was preparing for the worst. The reasons for requesting a manager usually involve arguing over a price, or complaining about a policy that the customer does not agree with. I got to the front to be greeted by a man whose eyes were the kindest I had ever seen. He was filthy, smelled of a mixture of cigarettes and body odor, and it was apparent that bathing was not a frequented occurrence. But there was something about him that struck me to the heart. He asked to show me something and we walked outside the building. There to the left side was a bicycle pulling a small trailer with a giant blond dog laying over the covered top. He explained that he had just gone to the local food bank, who had given him some food and directed him here in the hopes that we might be able to help him. Two things to note about the scenario thus far. The food bank is normally closed on Fridays, however it happened that one person was there by chance and able to help him. And two, the person that just happened to be there is an employee that was doing an internship there and felt to send him over. This man had been to the store the day before to get some bike parts, but had spent everything he had left. I later found out one of our employees had seen him crying in the Home Depot parking lot while doing the repairs that day. He asked if there was any way that he could get a pair of clothes, a sleeping bag, a can opener and some socks. His name was Bobby and he was traveling by bicycle from Montana to Arizona to escape the winter weather. It has taken him 5 weeks to ride 500 miles and he had 600 to go. He was camping wherever he stopped and since his dog Cody was his best friend (he was five and Bobby had had him since he was five weeks old) they were inseparable. So here was our deal, he would volunteer two hours of his time and he could take the items he needed.

He set Cody up with some water in the shade and he graciously grabbed a volunteer apron. Here is where the day got even more amazing. I went out to check on him throughout his time. He never said a word about his situation or struggle to anyone else while he worked. But his kind spirit and demeanor attracted all of our associates to him. They did not know about the deal, for all they knew he was a local volunteer helping out for a couple hours. But then one girl came to me and asked, Jessica, is he homeless? I responded that yes he was. Her next statement caught me off guard. Without skipping a beat she said, I want to see if anyone has some money they could spare in case he needs something. And that she did. Now this may not seem like something huge or spectacular, this act of kindness. But here is something you should know about all the people that gave today. Most are on assistance of some kind. They have shared stories of eviction, one had their power shut off earlier this week and just got it back on, some are staying in local shelters and every person there could have easily and honestly responded by saying that they were not in a position to donate to this stranger. But every one of those individuals took out their wallets and offered what they had to this man. A man they had never met, and that there was a good chance they may never see again. Now I know when Bobby and Cody rode away today they left with a tent, a sleeping bag, some clothes, socks, a can opener and a small plaque to hang on the back of his trailor. But what he left with us today was a love for the tender mercies in this world. He left me with the deep gratitude I have for the incredible people I work with. And a knowledge that despite the hate and trials that this world tends to offer, there is still innate goodness and love in every person. That regardless of the ease that exists to care about oneself alone, that as human beings we share a love greater than ourselves. I heard a quote by Albert Pike that seemed to sum this whole experience up. It said, "What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." These moments have been made immortal by the love for a brother that, until today, none of us had known.