All of us have a story to tell, some are just looking for the ears to listen. How are you going to share their Story?

How are You Going to Share Their Story?

Some of you may remember shortly after I started SecondIron’s Blog I shared a story about a gentleman I met out in the rain. This man had nothing to offer and yet I had all to gain. He was homeless and looking for company more than a handout. I told his story of how he was needing a few dollars in order to find a place out of the rain to stay. I ran into this same man yesterday.

I will call him Joe, as to not give away his real name that I now know.

I was reading the book Bridge Builders out in the hot sun on the river-walk. As I got up to move to the shade I saw a familiar face coming towards me. Not wanting interaction I turned my back and walked away. His pace was faster than mine and he caught up to and passed me by. As he did he looked at me briefly. He turned and stopped, and quietly said “have we had conversation before?” I acknowledged we had.

Noticing that he had a tool-belt around his waist and a cellphone in his hand. I commented ‘you are doing better than the last time we spoke.’ He cheerfully replied ‘yes, I guess I

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In every city in America you can find dumpster diving. With the economy in shambles over the last few years, need has grown. More homeless people are searching for their next meal. Many cities struggle for a solution. Soup kitchens have become common in the urban core. Yet people still go hungry. Many are children, veterans and the elderly that get ignored. People ignore them, walk past then as if they were not there. We complain about them, yet do little to help. One restaurant owner in Oklahoma had a brilliant idea. Rather than turning a blind eye as many do. They opened their heart to their dumpster diving friend. The owner of P.B. Jams noticed someone  had been going  through their trash. Rather than putting a lock or gate around the dumpster to keep them out. The owner invited them in. Oklahoma City metro business leaves message for dumpster diver Imagine a world where  instead of pretending they are not there. Imagine if we all were compelled to feed them. It may not be practical for every restaurant to open their doors to the hungry. However they could all do better in how much food they waste. This also goes for every household in America. We waste more food in a week than many will see a month. So the next time you have left overs that you will just throw away. Rather than leaving it to be thrown in a dumpster. Why not box it up and give it to the hungry on […]

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Open your eyes do you see me? We are all guilty of it, we pass by people every day that just want to be seen.  Won’t you open your eyes to see the unseen. Sometimes it is the man on the corner asking for change. Do you stop and talk to him or rush on by? There is the lady with all the kids pulling on her wrinkled clothes. Do you offer her a hand or step out-of-the-way. When you see an old classmate busing the table where you just ate, do you say “hi” or keep on walking by.  Do you get frustrated with the one in front of you that uses food stamps and then wants change? What about the one that scrounges in their purse only to come up pennies short. We all get impatient and want to get on with our lives.  We would rather not look therefore we do not have to see. There are moments every day that we could make our world a better place.  A moment to say thank you to the baggers making minimum wage at the grocery store.  Or to not be rude when your burger is not your way. You see those little moments that we take for granted could mean the world in someone else’s day. We see need on the TV,  where charities ask for our monthly gifts, gifts that mean nothing to us yet everything to them.  Our hearts break and we think someone needs to do something, yet that someone is you. Rather […]

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