SNAPPED BACK TO REALITY

back to reality

image courtesy of photobucket.com

It didn’t seem like it, but we all had something in common. As I stood waiting for my breakfast burrito, sipping a large hot coffee out of the styrofoam cup, the old rusted out speakers crackled, “What A Wonderful World,” by Louis Armstrong into the damp early morning air. It seemed fitting, reminded me of days gone by, a simpler life, as I watched the other people. None of us were friends, “Shakin’  hands,” –  “Really sayin,’ I love you,” we were strangers with a common goal, and I do mean strangers.

I was out of town, which helps change my thought process and perspective. One guy who had to be close to my age had his hair dyed bright blue… Standing in front of the semi-permanent restaurant on wheels, a tired grandma stopped to borrow a napkin to clean her granddaughter’s nose and tie her shoe. I sensed, by the way she dealt with the little girl, she was also the mom, but there was no doubt about the love between them.

An Asian woman who also looked to be about my age paced slowly and deliberately by, with her son who looked to be about 18 or 19, about his mom’s size. Their slow and deliberate pace was for his benefit; he appeared to be mentally and physically handicapped and used his mom’s steady forearm to steady himself.

Out next to the shrub covered chain link fence was a group of Hispanics, illegals, undocumented workers… or at least trying to be. All kinds of different people from different walks of life, different politics, different beliefs, different cultures, and different religions… but all of us there for one reason; improvement… in our Wonderful World…

People working on real estate to improve their lives, the professional and the non-professionals alike. Some to make their lives easier, prettier, more orderly, or fixing things that were broken. All of us were straining to make things better for our senses in hopes that it would do something similar to our spirit… Too bad the feeling isn’t permanent.

How often in life have we tried to improve the outside of our lives while ignoring the inside? That’s kind of like building a structure without first securing a solid foundation… very temporary. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and these other things will be appointed unto you.”

We all looked different, but we weren’t. The realization was staring me in the face and I was looking back, all of us were in need of improvement, repair, remodeling, or rebuilding.

“Sir!” I heard as I snapped back to reality.

“Yes?” I turned back toward him in the mobile diner.

“I added and extra egg since you didn’t want any potatoes!”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome! -Here you go! – Have a great day!”

“Thanks,” I pondered aloud, “You too.”

If only the world sought to fix the inside as much as the outside… This place might look more like,

A Wonderful World…