The wall above my workbench with all of my tools neatly organized
A Photo A Day

They Messed Everything Up!

Richard 

Yes, they certainly did. I was at the grocery store today when I heard a woman sobbing four or five aisles away. Out of curiosity, I went down the aisle she was in to see what was going on and found a woman in her 50s or 60s, sitting in the store’s Wall-E scooter next to the yogurt, sobbing. I asked her if she needed help. She looked up at me and said, “Yes! But they messed everything up so there’s nothing you can do, but thanks for asking.” The way she gestured to the double-doors that lead to the back of the store implied that the “they” to whom she reffered was an employee or employees. I don’t know for sure. I also don’t know what they messed up.

The whole scene encapsulated the current state of people in America. Overweight, physically and mentally unwell, blaming others for their problems regardelss of whether they’re deserving or not, and sitting in a rut sobbing and trauma dumping instead of doing something productive.

Arlene

I don’t know how to help these people. And what if I did help her. She is one of millions of people who need help. I think about that everytime I see Arlene. Arlene lives on the bike path that runs through my town. She used to live at the train station, but she was evicted, so she moved to the adjacent bike path. She smokes meth and then walks around yelling and screaming into the ether. If you listen closely, sometimes she’s yelling about you. Everytime I ride past her I feel a slight sense of guilt that I’m not doing anything to help this woman who so clearly needs help. What, though? How can I help her? Give her money? Clothes? Blankets? Food? None of that will solve her problems, and I don’t have the skillset needed to fix a broken woman like Arlene.

Likewise, I’m not going to help you fix your car. Not because I don’t want to – well, that’s not true, I don’t want to – but because I’m not a mechanic. So instead, I focus on what I can do. I focus on my strengths. I think that’s all anyone can/should do. Focus on your strengths and become a little stronger everyday.

Doing What I Can

So, I walked away from the sobbing woman and went back home to finish my workbench. Now, every one of my tools has a place and every tool is in it. It’s such a thrill to have everything within arms reach and to have space to work. By organizing my stuff and by extension, my life, I will be better able to help others using my strengths. Or at least, that’s the conclusion I’ve come to to be able to tie today’s picture to the story about the only interesting thing that happened to me today. 🤷‍♂️

The wall above my workbench with all of my tools neatly organized

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