Quitting time! Who
doesn’t love quitting time? That magical
hour in the day when you get to pack up your things, put on your coat and
depart from another day of thousands spent at your place of work.
As I drive away I use that time of the day between my office
and home as one to reflect and decompress.
For the most part I’ve become pretty good at not bringing my work home
with me but that wasn't always the case. When I was younger I was guilty
of that modern day habit of overthinking work related events, but as I’ve aged I’ve gotten far better at balancing
my work and personal life. With that being said
there are still some days when stepping away from it all can be a bit of a
challenge.
On my drive home last night I stopped at a red light about a
mile away from my final destination. The intersection
has become the second home of a local homeless dude who tries to round up spare change from idling drivers. Despite
his misfortunes in life he always seems to be in a good mood, and when I have
some handy I gladly pass some coins his way.
Unfortunately for him yesterday I only had a single quarter when he approached my car. I handed it to him and in a typical embarrassed
Canadian tone I apologized for my lack of generosity. Despite my cheapness he smiled and responded
with “Thanks, it’s better than a kick in the nuts”. I chuckled as he walked away to the car
behind me.
As I drove off I reflected on the words he had just shared with me. There he was, a man begging for spare change
outside on a cold Canadian evening while I drove off in my warm car, to a warm home where a warm meal awaited.
In the future whenever I leave work I need to remind myself the trivial
thing on my mind is indeed far better than getting kicked
in the nuts. The roads of life would be a happier place if we all lived by those words of wisdom. All bets are off however if
I do ever get kicked in the nuts by a co-worker.
The ride home that evening may be worthy of some thought (and plans for revenge).
