12/31/2025
From my book Keeping Faith…..New Years Eve Years ago
ok, here it is New Year’s Eve, and guess what, the dryer broke so I had to ride ten miles in to town to dry some clothes I had washed. Well there he was sitting in the laundry mat, who? yea a bum. once again, I had to spend twenty minutes listening to his sob story of how life had dealt him some tough blows, how he had come out here from Alabama on a promise of a job, how it played out and his money ran out. how the salvation army had only let him stay so many days, how he couldn’t reach family back home and all the other things that had happened to him in his life. im thinking all the time yea buddy and im doing laundry on New Year’s Eve, my truck payments behind, my electric bill is behind, and many other things going on, then my mind says well I guess he’s in worse shape than I am. at least I have a truck and a house and electricity. I know im going home to my warm bed and I know that my kids have more than they deserve and im going to eat out at least twice this week, and I’ve got family that’s sure going to be there if I really need them. um what if this guy is on the up and up? what if he’s even an angel in disguise? who knows. I smile and think of the many other times id been taken in by a sob story, are even the many times I had told my sob stories, had been, broke, had felt hopeless & even been let down by mankind. I finish folding my clothes and walk to the truck, I hand him the six dollars I have left in my roll of quarters, and the pack of ci******es that he had already smoked three of. I said how old are ya guy. he replies twenty-seven, I smile and say well guy hang in their things will surely get better. he smiles and says thank you sir, and God bless you. I leave and drive home , not feeling good because I gave a bum a few bucks and a cigarette , feeling good because I saw that even with all the problems I have there are folks out there that are really down and out , and that I should be thankful for what I have. you know he might have just been another con artist, or he might have been legitimate but either way he made me think and that was worth a lot more than that few dollars I was out.