Love's Labor

A few days back, I rode the city bus from my work to an event downtown. Sitting across from me in the back of the bus was a young man who I noticed kept smiling to himself, seemingly thinking of or remembering something funny. Well, turns out he was thinking of something exciting. A few blocks before the final station downtown he reached in his pocket and took out a ring box. He opened it and turned my way to show me. "It's pretty nice huh?" he said. "It's very nice," I replied. He nodded in agreement and stared happily at the ring. "Do you have someone special that is going to get that ring?" I asked him. "Oh yeah!" came his energetic and sure answer. Our conversation went on from there covering his search for a reasonably priced ring, one he could afford. His struggle and attempts to get time off from work in order to get to some of the stores in time. His worry about whether or not his girl would like it. And how he should present it to her, and where would he hide it in the meantime. He was a picture and model of a certain innocence and pure belief. He was young and blue collar. His smile held the happiness of love and dreams for the future. At the final station I wished him well, one man to another, with earnestness and pride in fellowship. The future was now.

A couple of days later I was driving down a major thoroughfare. Stopped in traffic near a crowded intersection I looked over to see one of those human billboards, a guy wearing a sandwich board.
He was waving to the traffic, smile on his face - yes, the same smile he had on the bus going downtown. "Right on," I thought to myself.

Times are tough, and even during the days when they seem easy, people are often just trying to survive, make a living and be with the ones they love. I think we call it life, liberty and pursuit of happiness - and we owe it to ourselves to give it full honor in its various forms.