Age is an interesting thing. America is getting older and for a first time by year 2030, all Baby Boomers will be older than age 65. In other words, one in ever five residents in the United States will be of retirement age.
Read MoreCan you stomach the past?
I always find it so intriguing how others have all the answers on what to do, right from wrong, how you should feel vs. how you really feel, etc. I wonder how so many people know so much about others?
He was standing quietly against a wall of windows, barely audible as he asked those who smirked past him, “Do you have any change?” I failed to see even one person stop to simply ask why he needed the money.
If anyone did ask, they would learn the elderly gentleman has a place to stay, but his entire social security check went to the monthly cost. He had no money to eat. It was that simple... money to eat.
If you asked a passerby one might state, “That's what his food stamp or EBT card is for.” Then, the senior citizen might reply, “But, $15 is not enough to eat more than four meals on - if I shop for the most valuable deals.” Of course, that is only if he has a card.
It is to easy to assume you have the answers to the problems, the life obstacles, the aliments or the cures for another until you live their life both the past and the present. But, make sure you are able to stomach their past.
“Respect other people’s feelings. It might mean nothing to you, but it could mean everything to them.”
Happy in the Years
If I gave him a nickname, it would be happy. He was sitting on a decorative brick wall in front of a closed business on a sunny Saturday morning in downtown Seattle, Washington.
Read MoreLiving in a Small Town
Knocking on random doors in small town America is always interesting... Just aiming to capture life unexpected is the goal.
She has lived in Shelbyville, TN for nearly 50 years… She said, “Ever since ’69.” When I talked to her about others who live in Shelbyville she stated, “ I don’t socialize with nobody too much, so I guess it’s good – I don’t have nothing else.”
I asked her son to describe Shelbyville and he simply said, “It’s a’ight, it’s alright.” When I spoke of crime in the quiet southern community he responded, “I don’t know nothing about no crime around here”
“This is a small town, so everyone talks. Ironic, isn’t it—so few people, so many opinions?”
No Legs? Not a problem for Ms. Murray
Ronald Batick depends on his scooter to run errands, visit doctors and to get groceries. Recently, he had a minor scooter accident when he hit a rock. The run-in caused Batick’s scooter to flip over, throwing him on the concrete sidewalk.
Sharon Murray was on her scooter when she saw what happened to Mr. Batick. Keep in mind, she is a total stranger to Batick and was just at the right place at the right time to lend a hand.
What is unusual about this story is that Ms. Murray has no legs from the knee down. Her lower legs had to be amputated after blood clots were found in the past. Needless to say, she didn’t let that stop her from helping Batick.
Ms. Murray hopped out of her scooter landing on her knees and made her way over to Batick. She then used her upper body strength to push the scooter upright. Batick said, “I couldn’t have done it without her.”
The good news is that Batick was not hurt and he was able to drive away on his scooter while making a new friend. As for Ms. Murray, she learned to walk on her knees many years ago and said, "I couldn't get use to prosthetics."
“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” –Walt Whitman
The Elderly on the Street
When I first saw him he was standing in the middle of the road talking to the air. Cars and trucks were stopped behind him honking their horns. No one even rolled down a window to ask him if he was okay. By the time I made it to him, he was on the sidewalk talking to himself.
I placed a hand on his shoulder only to feel his hard bones under his coat hiding his frail and undernourished body. His eyes were ice blue and his hair silver. He started to tell me about different movies he had seen and then changed the subject to talk about the ground coming up towards him.
“How old are you,” I asked with curiosity. “I am 70-years old,” he said in a whisper. “Do you have somewhere to stay tonight,” I asked with curiosity. He smiled and responded, “Don’t worry, I have a credit card to pay for somewhere to stay.”
I left him with a pair of new gloves and a green scarf. As I watched him walk away, I noticed he could barely walk. He looked at me and said that he has a bad knee. He then said, “See my hat [pulling it out of his pocket], a judge gave it to me. The judge was wearing it when he saw me and took it off his head and put it on my head.”
“It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.” - Hubert H. Humphrey (1911-1978)