While I spend much time and effort researching and writing about the ills of this world, and the governments that cause most of these ills, a ray of light occasionally shines down. That light was evident this week in my small home town, and I thought you may enjoy this moving story in this time of constant turmoil.
One of the characters of Lewistown, Montana is a man described by many as weird, crazy, slow or just plain strange. He is certainly not weird, crazy or slow in my mind, in fact I find hime to be very intelligent, but he is very different than most any you will meet on the street. Why he is homeless and lives the way he does is unknown to me, but I have never had a cross word with him. I will not use his full name here, but I doubt that he would mind. I will refer to him only as Richard.
Richard is homeless in an area of extreme winter weather, but is seen on a very regular basis around town. He rides an old bicycle with a large basket on it picking up virtually anything and everything he needs to survive. He is willing to work, and work very hard I might add, but seems to revel in his daily efforts to scour the town for simple things he regards as treasures.
He has for a long time been harrassed by the local police, and thrown in jail on several occassions for the supposed crime of being a nuisance. He has even been abused by those state agents in blue, but he continues to live the way he feels is best for him, regardless of the obvious obsticles.
This week as Richard was going around town as he always does, he stumbled upon a small purse filled with money. The amount was over $80.00, that to him a small fortune. His first thought, and this doesn’t surprise me in the least, was to find the rightful owner. He went directly to the local grocery store, the closest to where he found the purse, and turned it over with all its contents to a store employee. He told the employee “its not mine.” This was a thoughtful and kind act from someone in desperate need. How many of those who critisize or call him names would have done the same?
While turning over lost property is not in my mind heroic, but the normal and right thing to do, in this case it was somewhat exceptional. And considering today’s world of unexceptional behavior, of “Knockout Games,” of theft and welfare and of general apathy and uncaring attitudes, this local story brought that little ray of light that is so special, a reminder that there is always goodness if one chooses to look for it.