Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Umbrella
A few Wednesdays ago I got caught in the rain without an umbrella. I'd gone straight from work to class, and at some point during my three hour lecture the sun was overtaken by some violent storm clouds. Class ended and it was pouring. My car was parked five blocks away.
I went to the Circulation Desk at the library at WSU and asked if there were any umbrellas in the lost & found. Naturally there weren't. So I headed back outside, zipped up all my zippers, buttoned up all my buttons, and headed out. By the time I got to my car I was drenched. My umbrella was warm and dry though, as it had been resting comfortably on my passenger seat.
Before I made it to the highway I got stopped at a light on a corner that is always occupied by a homeless person. It's not always the same person, but there is always one there. Tonight it was a middle-aged man, huddling underneath his rag of a coat, trying to use his sign for shelter without obstructing its message asking for help. He looked miserable.
I rolled down my window and his head perked up. I yelled to him, "Hey, want an umbrella?" He cracked a big smile and said, "Yeah! It's been raining for three days!" I handed my umbrella to him through the open car window. He opened it up and starting jumping around, almost dancing, saying, "Yeah! YEAH!" Then my light turned green, I smiled and waved, and hit the highway. I was mostly dry by the time I got home.
A few days later I went to the thrift store to buy a replacement umbrella. It cost $2.11. The following Wednesday on my way home from class I saw the same guy sitting at that same intersection, only it wasn't raining. He recognized me while I was stopped at the red light, pointed down to the umbrella sticking out of his bag, and smiled at me. I waved back. I smiled almost the whole way home.
Who knew an old umbrella could mean so much? Little things mean a lot more when you can fit everything you own into an old gym bag. Maybe someday he'll be in a position to give that umbrella to someone else who needs it more than he does. That's what I hope at least.
I went to the Circulation Desk at the library at WSU and asked if there were any umbrellas in the lost & found. Naturally there weren't. So I headed back outside, zipped up all my zippers, buttoned up all my buttons, and headed out. By the time I got to my car I was drenched. My umbrella was warm and dry though, as it had been resting comfortably on my passenger seat.
Before I made it to the highway I got stopped at a light on a corner that is always occupied by a homeless person. It's not always the same person, but there is always one there. Tonight it was a middle-aged man, huddling underneath his rag of a coat, trying to use his sign for shelter without obstructing its message asking for help. He looked miserable.
I rolled down my window and his head perked up. I yelled to him, "Hey, want an umbrella?" He cracked a big smile and said, "Yeah! It's been raining for three days!" I handed my umbrella to him through the open car window. He opened it up and starting jumping around, almost dancing, saying, "Yeah! YEAH!" Then my light turned green, I smiled and waved, and hit the highway. I was mostly dry by the time I got home.
A few days later I went to the thrift store to buy a replacement umbrella. It cost $2.11. The following Wednesday on my way home from class I saw the same guy sitting at that same intersection, only it wasn't raining. He recognized me while I was stopped at the red light, pointed down to the umbrella sticking out of his bag, and smiled at me. I waved back. I smiled almost the whole way home.
Who knew an old umbrella could mean so much? Little things mean a lot more when you can fit everything you own into an old gym bag. Maybe someday he'll be in a position to give that umbrella to someone else who needs it more than he does. That's what I hope at least.
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