Pick Your Head Up Already!!!

Some years ago, I was driving to work one morning through a low income section of Paterson, NJ. I would often cut though residential areas to avoid traffic on the main roads.  Unfortunately, I got stuck behind a school van with the stop sign out, but there was no one around.  Like most other people stopped on their way to work, road rage began to rise up, and my frustration along with it.

Before making a complete idiot of myself, by beeping or screaming, I glanced to the left.  The doorway of the house alongside the van opened, and a little boy came out dressed for school, book bag and all.  He had a visible physical handicap, which made walking extremely difficult.  Needless to say, it took him quite a while to go through the doorway, grasp the railing to climb down the few stairs, and make it to the van.  I watched, fighting back the tears, suddenly quite ashamed of myself.  A few steps behind a woman, I imagine his mother, watched in a concerned yet stern fashion.  It was obvious he wanted to do it himself and she wanted to empower him.  All the while, he had an ear to ear grin that would brighten anyone's day.


When another idiot pulled up behind me and beeped, it took all the strength I had not to get out and destroy him.  But the little boy and his Mom did not flinch.  I'm sure they were used to it and were too proud of what was taking place to be reduced to anger.  I felt I should follow their lead.   

Since then, I try to remember this event, any time I'm feeling down.  People get depressed for so many different reasons.  It's too easy to give in to negative feelings about your job, finances, relationships, or whatever SO DON'T!  Learn from this little boy whose problems are so far beyond what most of us can imagine, yet he was happy as can be walking by himself 20 feet to go to school.