By Joyce Woods, January 16, 2020 — I am a fairly happy person and always have been. Although, I have had plenty of personal problems in my life, especially with health, family, and various friendships — as I am sure we all have, being seniors. The longer one lives eventually all kinds of experiences follow. It seems I always spring back, after all, in a reasonable amount of time.
The state of the world’s human problems always seems to be a weight on my mind. As a child, I worried about war, people starving, and elderly people in nursing homes. You name it, I worried about it and trying to think of a solution for it.
For instance, once in my childhood, I suppose I must have been about six years old, coming from my grandmother’s house which was about four blocks from mine. I saw a man which would probably qualify [with] the title, “bum.” Nowadays, I suppose the terminology for his description would be “homeless.” As I remember, I kept staring at him. He fascinated me with his way of caring for himself there on the pavement. Folding his shabby blanket, brushing his warm coat, smoothing his beard, slicking his hair back with his hand, wetting his face with the tiny glass that contained a small amount of water in it he poured carefully in his hand, the remainder he drank not wasting a drop.
He didn’t see me observing. In those days I was always quick to take action. He sparked my problem-solving skills. I immediately thought of my mother. I could hear her in my mind as clear as day. She would never let anyone go without who was in need. She would say it’s the right thing to do. “That’s it,” I said, she meant it! I’m taking him home.
I decided to let myself be known. I quickly introduced myself, asked him a few questions, i.e. what was his name? I think it was Nick. Where was his family? He said he didn’t have one for a long time. I said, Do you have a mother? “She’s been gone for a very long time,”, he replied. I looked into his eyes, I remember liking what I saw. He reminded me of Uncle Remus, you know from the Walt Disney movie. I told him I wanted to take him home with me, my mother would take care of him since he didn’t have a mother and no home. I didn’t know then, but he must have been as naïve as I was. I took this gentle giant soul by the hand and we walked off to my house.
He seemed shy when we got to the steps. I knocked on the door briefly. Mommy came to the door with a terrified look on her face. I didn’t understand this look.
She grabbed out for me and said, “Are you alright? What’s happened?” I said, “I found Nick and he needs a house and a family. I remember you told me you would help anybody. I told him you would let him live with us.” Well, I guess you know pretty much how that situation turned out.
Nick didn’t get to live with us, but my mother gave him something to eat and wrote something on a paper she gave to him. He sat on the porch. I was told to tell Mr. Nick good-bye, nice meeting you, and was sent in the house. Later I found out mommy gave him Father Mitchell’s number. He was our head priest at the parish. She told him that she had sent Nick to him. Father let us know later they were able to [help and he would] be alright. I learned a good lesson.