This is a story told to me by a friend, Glenn
New York City
"As I traveled to work every morning I would pass by Central Park. Everyday in the same location I would see a middle aged man who looked much older near a park bench in the park. The older man stood next to the bench and his grocery cart filled with all that he owned and the cans and bottles he had collected during the night. I would see him always talking to himself and many thought he was crazy."
My friend went on to say, "Almost everyday I would have to stop at a stop light across from where the homeless man lived. One day as I was stopped, my eyes caught the strangers eyes and he stopped talking to himself for just a few seconds. Quickly, realizing I was watching him, he slowly turned his head to the ground. I knew then he wasn't crazy. The man took another quick glance toward me and the light changed and I was gone."
"Still another day I stopped at the light and saw the homeless man, but today a nicely dressed businessman carrying a briefcase walked across the crosswalks in front of me. I notice he had on an expensive suit and wore a nice watch. I wondered as I reflected about the homeless man and the businessman who passed by the same corner almost everyday."
"I wondered if these two men were any different. What brought each of them to this position in life? The businessman hustled by without a smile and the homeless man stood freezing in the cold. Were they both unhappy and not satisfied with their lives. What could make a difference? What would make them happy."
The next day my friend drove by the park and it was snowing. The decorations for Christmas were everywhere but the red and green were missing from the store fronts this year. The peacefulness of the snow falling brought an incredible silence to the drive to work. On this particular drive the homeless man was not there. All that could be seen was the park bench with an inch of snow covering it.
