What ‘They’ don’t tell you in the guidebooks
By Bill Poindexter
I was biking to the grocery store. I noticed a black man standing on the road looking at his phone acting confused. I asked him if he was ok. He said, “I am just trying to get home.” He spoke. He had a sad face, 30s, scruffy beard-streaks of gray and eyes were clouded and looked scared.
I asked him where he lives, and he told me a general location, so I gave him directions. “Are you going to be ok, friend?” I asked.
He looked up at me with a welling of pain and said, “I just miss my mom, I miss her so much.” And a large tear streamed down his face. I told him I understood and that all will be fine. Life is hard, and death is part of life. I shared that I too had lost parents and a sister and knew it was painful. He tilted his head to the side and looked me square in the eyes then showed a slight smile and thanked me.
“I am just so sad.” He said, “I know you can see it on my face.”
And he was right, I could-clearly see the pain.
He asked me if life was going to get better and what I do to feel good. I told him I walk and bicycle and appreciate nature. He told me he has a bicycle, no air in the tires, but he would fix that and start riding too.
I smiled and asked again if he was going to be okay. He said yes. I started to roll away and he yelled back to me “what’s your name sir?”
I rode back to him and looked him in the eyes, “I’m Bill- what’s yours?”
“My name is Leon.” He said smiling.
“It’s nice to meet you Leon.”
“Thank you for helping me.” He said sincerely.
He walked over to me as though wanting to give me a hug, but just put a hand on my shoulder and I reciprocated. There was a moment of silence, time stood still, hard to explain.
I made sure he knew how to get to his home, and we exchanged a few more words. He thanked me. I rode on.
In that moment, Leon just needed to know he was acknowledged, he needed compassion, no judgment, doesn’t matter what religion, creed, color, class, no, just one man to another, one human crossing the web of life. What’s really important?
Maybe just saying “hey” making eye contact and giving a smile.
Authors note: Despite what you read or hear in the news. We, humans, are all the same.
Bill Poindexter, an American Writer based out of Kansas City
More of his writings can be found here bpoindexter.substack.com
Bill travels by bicycle and writes about his adventures from the road, most usually involving sharing the commonalities of humanity and the importance of the environment and nature.
