There is no place to
go but up, is always a better thought to embrace than why bother.
There are just some images you can never get out of
your head. A strange man holding a
cardboard sign which read, NORTH PLEASE, is one such depiction for me.
To fully explain, I must back up about a year. About once a month, as part of my old job, my
work partner and I would drive our box truck on road trips out of state. So, last winter we were given a job that
required us to drive on the highway approximately four hours one way. Consequently, my partner and I would stop
halfway at a rest facility to take a bathroom break.
On this particular trip, it was quite frigid as I
got out of the truck. It was then that I
saw an odd man appearing to be in his twenties, sitting on a bench in plain
view of all who walked by to visit the restrooms. He was dressed in worn out
clothes and was holding a cardboard sign reading NORTH PLEASE.
As I passed by, he said nothing, I said
nothing. He reminded me of a modern day
hitchhiker, someone who struck me as mysterious and someone who seemed a little
dodgy. To pick up a stranger at rest facility is not only risky, but was prohibited
by company rules, so I kept moving.
However, that sign with his simple request, NORTH PLEASE, stayed with me.
What would happen, as we approach a new year, if we
tried to be more positive and looked up more, and went north instead of south
with our attitudes. It is a far better
alternative than being disgruntled while looking down, and playing the woe is
me card. Being positive doesn’t fix
everything, but it can make our journey in life much more enjoyable.
North please, is not
just a destination, but can be a very gratifying state of mind.
Swavel
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