Just checking

I took a long trip today and on my way home I stopped at a park in this beautiful little town. I really needed to stretch my legs and feel the cool breeze of one the last days of summer. Oh, I know we still have a lot of time left according to the calendar. But I've seen too many summers suddenly disappear. Like God shut off the heat because we didn't pay the bill. Instant winter.

The sign said this park was a gift to the towns people from some family that claimed their roots here. It was quite a gift, too.

Nestled in tall pine trees and a few old oaks, were wooden play sets and walking paths. I sat at a picnic table wishing I had a grill and a couple of hot dogs. My potato salad would be great too. I make a really good potato salad. My mom's recipe.

Along the pathway came this gentleman, about my age. By the way he was dressed he seemed to be pretty well off. He had on a green polo shirt, tan shorts and dockers. All of them bore name brand labels.

"Good afternoon, my friend!" he said as he sat down on the opposite side of the table. "You're not from around here, are you."

"No, I'm just passing through. I live about an hour and a half from here."

"What do you do for a living?" he asked.

"I'm a professional speaker and an author."

"Well, I should have known," he said.

Now he had my interest. How could he possibly know what I did for a living just by looking at me?

"Now what gave me away?" I asked.

"You were dreaming and wondering. I could see it in your eyes. You can see things most people don't take the time to see."

This was beginning to feel a little awkward. I wasn't afraid. I just had a funny feeling about who he was.

"What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a reflection," he said.

Okay, now I'm concerned. I suddenly took notice of a leather necklace he was wearing. It was a simple piece of leather and dangling from it was a small mirror.

"Oh, I'll bite. What's a reflection?"

"Actually I'm a reporter for our local paper. I call myself a reflection because I report what I see. My words are a reflection of the world around me. I have been living here so long that I write about what I know and I know these people. They are in turn a reflection of me. So you can imagine how predictable the news is here."

"I noticed the mirror hanging around your neck. Is that a reminder of what you are?"

He laughed for a moment and shook his head.

"You know I never put the two things together. That is a great idea. I am a reflection," he started to laugh again. I just didn't get the joke.

"No. I actually just started wearing this to drive my ex-girlfriend crazy. She broke up with me because she said I'm not the man I used to be. So when I see her, and in this small town I see her often, I hold up the mirror and look in it and say, "Yep it's the same man!"

Now he had me laughing.

"I guess I'm changing. We all change. Some times for the better. Sometimes we take a wrong turn and really mess things up," he continued.

"Well, I'm surely glad that I stopped here today," I told him. " I felt comfortable even driving through here."

"Thank you." he said.

"I guess that's a good reflection on you!" I said laughing.

He quickly held up his mirror and looked in it. "I wanted to make sure you were talking about me...just checking!"

So are you a reflection of all that's good in your world? Better yet, if you had to describe what a good person would be like, could you fit the description? And would a perfect stranger get that impression?

"I wish you enough!"
J
~ Bob Perks ~

Good news - Bob Perks' first book, "I Wish You Enough," Embracing Life's Most Valuable Moments... is now available for ordering. Here's the "Link" to get your copy of Bob's book: I Wish You Enough from Amazon.com.

[ by: Bob Perks Copyright © 2011 (2believe@comcast.net) -- {used with permission} ]