Image isn't Everything
“Demanding that life treat us fairly is not all that fair is it?” I was stunned when that came out of his mouth. He didn’t have the air of someone who even had a brain in his head. Or maybe that was just my own bias. He was the wrong age to start with. Too old to have the wisdom of a child and far too young to have the wisdom that comes with age. Two clichés that I had heard for years. He did look like an educated man, but in a tailored three piece suit with a briefcase at his side. I thought I had been talking quietly to myself and was annoyed with him when he spoke. We were sharing the same weather worn park bench overlooking the ocean ~ he on one end and me on the other. Things had been going badly for me in my marriage, my job, with my teenagers and then my car broke down in the middle of the day on my way to the doctor. The dog had torn up the furniture. The straw was when I ….. was…I don’t want to go there. That was when this well-dressed Yoda spoke up. Without another word, he picked up his briefcase and walked on to whatever was in his day. I felt like crying but something broke in my stubborn self pity. Looking up at the sky, clouds that had once seemed so threatening, were beautiful. They released their burden onto my upturned face. The ancient trees and manicured gardens behind me seemed to smile and say thank you. I will never see that man again but will always be grateful for his gentle words that day.
“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.”
~ Maya Angelou
