Last night Sully, my 15 year old, and I made a late night run to Luna Mediterranean for hummus and baklava. (Don’t judge…)   Aaannyyywayssss, as we drove through the ever so busy Californian parking lot, I noticed a guy in a wheelchair weaving his way around a car and crossing the street so I stopped (as another car decided to jump in front of me due to my 1/2 second hesitation).  The car slammed on their brakes, and the wheelchair guy kept on rollin.

I said to Sully, “Man, what a life… I just can’t imagine.”  He responded with, “Yeah, no kidding.”  We proceeded into Luna, bought way too much baklava and then headed over to the grocery store to grab some “Mexican” cokes (glass bottle, no corn syrup).  As I pulled up to drop off my “little” grocery getter, I spied wheelchair guy at the entrance, wheeled up to the trash can.  He had his head laying on top of it, eyes closed.  Sully looked over for my bank card and I handed it to him along with a Starbucks gift card and said, “Hey, when you walk by that guy, hand him this.”  I keep a few of them around cuz you never know when you’ll get a chance to buy someone who needs it, a cup of coffee.  Sully made some serious eye contact and I could see the hesitation and maybe a slight bit of fear.  I reassured him, told him to ask his name and shake his hand and off Sully went.

I couldn’t have been more proud watching as he walked right up, handed him the card, and chatted for a few seconds.  His demeanor was so welcoming as he asked “wheelchair guy” his name, how he was doing and finished up with an outstretched hand that was not met with a handshake.  Sully disappeared into the store, so I circled the parking lot.  I pulled back around and waited near the entrance.  A few minutes later 4 teens Sully’s age came up, took one look at the guy, laughed and made fun.  They circled around (as my hand inched towards my door handle in case a serious slap down needed to happen) and they dared one of the four to do something to him.  He said something to him, or put something on his head – I couldn’t see and off they ran.

A few seconds later Sully pops out of the store with a 6 pack of Cokes and climbs into my truck.  I told him how proud I was of him, and about the 4 others that ridiculed him and that who knows, maybe him being nice helped him get through the others being mean.

As we rolled away, he rolled into the grocery store and I noticed the sign above where he was “parked”:  STARBUCKS.  Sully and I talked on the way home how a little interaction like that could change a life.  His name was Bob, and you never know,
now he could go in there and end up having a cup of coffee with a new friend. Or he could sip a cappuccino and remember a life he had long ago and the simple gift from a 15 year old could inspire him to change his world.

Humanity.

Godspeed Bob. Godspeed.