All the Difference in the World

Whenever I see tragedy and beauty infused together it always takes my breath away.

This morning on the train I saw this black man and white woman sitting together. After studying them a little further I could tell that they weren't a couple per se. She was an older woman - maybe in her late 50's. He appeared to be in his mid to late 30's. She sat there with her head on his shoulder, then they would change positions and he would have his head on her shoulder. He dropped something and when he got up I could tell from his walk and his clothing that he was a homeless man and that he probably had some mental issues...I looked at the woman and noticed that she looked a little haggard as well and was probably also homeless. And I felt such a sense of comfort looking at them.

I was thinking, not about how sad it was that they were homeless, but how wonderful it was that they had each other. They looked very comforted by the other person's presence. I could imagine them walking the cold cruel streets of downtown Atlanta with no where to go really, but then sitting under some bridge or underpass sharing a sandwich and laughing about something they had seen that day...and for a moment forgetting that they didn't have a place to go because the place that they were sitting in was filled with laughter.

I looked up at them again and saw the woman now sitting there asleep with her head bowed wearing a hooded coat. The man was now facing her and fidgeting a lot - like a child. He peeked under her hood and then she opened one eye and gave him a semi-toothless smile. He laughed and put his head back on her shoulder. Tears welled up in my eyes and I was overwhelmed by the connection that I could sense between them. They made all the difference in the world to one another.

When I get up and get dressed and get on the train and go to work, it's all about my coworkers. Like Tom who calls me "Chaz" or "Chuck" at every opportunity. Or Samantha who calls me mom and hugs me all the time. Or even Reggie who occasionally bursts into a chorus of "Tiny Bubbles". These PEOPLE motivate me to be at work. And whenever the job becomes cumbersome or tedious, I am still motivated by the people.

We need each other. More than anything. So whenever you get a chance, rest your head on a friend's shoulder or peek under their hood. They might just open a sleepy eye and give you a semi-toothless smile that makes all the difference in the world.

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