Close Encounters

 Recently, in my travels, I met a man I shall call Ted. (Not his real name.) He immediately struck up a conversation…’nice day…my name is…what’s yours?’ ‘Guess how old I am.’ I guessed, fortunately on the safe side as numbers go. ‘I am _ _ years. Today’s my birthday!’ He was celebrating already. He couldn’t contain his excitement.

Ted was very amiable and proceeded to talk about his daily routine. Now according to ‘society’s standards’ he fit into a ‘special needs’ category in both speech and physical demeanor…. yet, he was quite articulate in all ways. He expressed himself beautifully. He was coming home from work. As he continued he explained that he really didn’t ‘work’ like other people. Rather he did volunteer work. Without specifying the fine details of his past, Ted explained that he has received help from some people and it was time for him to return the favor. He volunteered to stuff envelopes for a company. Admittedly, it was quite boring by his standards, but it was a way of paying them back. It was what he could do.  ‘My life is about making this world a better place’, he said. ‘It’s really not about the job itself.’ I adjusted my sunglasses to prevent him from seeing the tear falling from my eye. As my voice caught in my throat I told him how important the job of making the world a better place is. It sounded as if he was already doing a great job. ‘Thank you. That’s how I see it. I’m so glad you see it that way too. Thank you.’

It was a pleasure meeting you, I said. We departed. The odds of us ever running into each other are slim to none. My life is better for having met him. He did my heart good. The world is truly a better place with him in it.

As we go through life, we should take note of the people we run into each day. Lessons are presented to us with each person we meet. If we all tried a little harder to make the effort to make the world a better place each & every day, as Ted did, the world would indeed be a better place. Pay it back and pay it forward in the same intention would definitely get us there.

“Unless a life is lived for others, it is not worthwhile.” Mother Teresa

Ted’s life is SO worthwhile. I hope he truly knows how much he is contributing to the world…. more than my words alone could say. I hope all whom he encounters acknowledges his efforts for these are ‘close encounters of the best kind.’

Cathy