I Saw A Man

Lunch hour. Sixty minutes to regain some sense of my sanity from the first three and a half hours of my day. I saw a man today. In Chinatown. Tattered clothes, dirty worn skin from what only can be assumed a life of incredible hardship on the mean streets of D.C. I saw a man. He was jovial. Riding his mid 1980's hand-me-down Walter Reed giveaway wheelchair.

He greeted me. "Hello Sir", he spoke. 94 Degrees, a billion percent humidity outside and this guy is smiling like the sweat isn't running from his sullied face like the Anacostia River runs through the Nation's Capital. I am taken aback by his warm nature.

His inquiring nature befuddles me as he asks me where I obtained the scooter I happen to be riding. I explain that whole time-consuming story and ignorantly say " and you can look online too." ONLINE? HIM? LOOK ONLINE? He laughs. It was then I found out just how ignorant I really am. Like he will plug and upload to the ISP in a wheel.

I graciously extend my apologies but he says none are needed. The only request was that I look online for him (I can do that). He sleeps on a park bench near the Navy Memorial. I carry that scooter information that I downloaded from the internet in my suit pocket every day in Hopes of finding that man on that bench by the Navy Memorial. I have not found him yet. But one thing is for sure. That day, I saw a man. The true measure of a man that understands no matter the circumstances you are given, or the cards you are dealt, Live on. Make the best of it. Yes, indeed, I saw a man.