A Great Man At A Garage Sale

Recently, my family held a garage sale.  Not only are you able to get rid of old stuff at sales, you also have the priceless opportunity meet an assortment of interesting and inspiring people.  I met one such man on a sunny afternoon.  He asked me about an old workout machine and a pair of old track shoes we had for sale.  Shortly after, we started talking, and he said some very inspiring things.  

His father is from Ethiopia, his mother is from the Italian island of Sicily, and he is one of ten children.  He has six children and a beautiful wife.  His grandmother is 101 years old.  After I introduced myself to him, he said we need to respect all people...  “Life is a gift and we are only here temporarily.  That is why we must stay positive and enjoy life.  It’s crazy how many people become overly concerned with money and other worldly things.  It’s people we need to respect, not possessions.”

I asked him if he is a believer, and he responded with an emphatic yes.  “Sometimes, when I do something bad, God punishes me immediately.  One thing I’ve noticed is that so many people go to bed at night and they can’t sleep because they think they own life.  No.  Life is a gift and we do not own life.  You don’t need to pray for 2 hours everyday, but always take 5-10 minutes to thank God for all he has given us.  I can get to sleep at night because this life is just a short stopping point in eternity.” 

He expressed interest in a large dresser for sale.  After contemplating the dresser for awhile, he said, “I’ll come back tomorrow and if you haven’t sold this, I will buy it.  I don’t want to purchase this because a needy family might need it more than me.  If I bought this, I would try to resell it on CraigsList.  That’s how I provide some extra money for my family.” 

Suddenly, a heavy gust of wind swept across our lawn and knocked over a clothing rack.  This selfless man immediately helped us pick up all the clothes and gladly assisted me in repositioning the rack in the grass, where it is less likely to blow over.    

He ended up purchasing those track shoes and the workout machine.  I gave him a discount because, in my view, he produced more value with his inspiring words than the entire garage sale generated.

It’s rare to encounter such an altruistic, compassionate human being.  I encourage everyone to cherish these opportunities because in our society, they aren’t as common as I’d prefer.  As I’ve pointed out before, I want everyone to be kind and make it a priority to treat everyone with the utmost respect.