Somehow, I Feel Better

I was talking to a young man today. I ducked into a new, local sandwich shop about an hour before the lunch rush to see the place empty. The space was clean and ready for business. The young man readied himself for action, jumping up from his studies behind the register.

I quickly identified my sandwich and he got busy. I talked about why the place was so empty outside of the obvious early hour and newness. He stated it had been like this most of the summer and added there wasn’t a lot of business yet. But it was getting better. “Besides,” he said, “a quiet shift and the early hours allowed him to study and the owners supported that idea.”

I ignored my newspaper and we talked for a bit as I ate my sandwich at a small table near the register. He told me about his major, his full ride scholarship, and his aspirations after completing school. He showed me a picture of his wife and young son. Turns out, he is living rent free in a grandma unit behind his mom’s house just a few blocks away. He was content in his world.

He seemed like a bright young man. I immediately had the feeling he did well in school and that, someday, would excel in anything he chose to pursue.

But I had to ask, “So, you live rent free, your wife works full time, and have all the money you need for school, why are you working here? Why not just plow through school and get it out of the way as soon as possible?”

His answer was stunningly simple. Even though he didn’t need to work, he worked. He didn’t want his son to see him just hanging out and being a student/slacker. He wanted his son to see the value in work beyond the paycheck. He wanted to work for his education and also have the ability to do more for his family with the little extra money he makes.

Needless to say, he made an impression on me. I left the sandwich shop uplifted. The world is not a great world these days. Our current and previous leaderships have placed us in vulnerable positions in uncertain times. My father would echo that it is not as nice a world as it was when he was my age (or younger, even). But I walked to my car thinking the world was going to be OK. because I found a bit of hope in a young man at a deli counter.

However bleak the news media portrays the seemingly crumbling and cruel world, a deli-sandwich maker can undo with good work ethic and a positive attitude. It doesn't seem that difficult anymore. Somehow, I feel a bit better.