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My Story



There is a story that I want to tell you, because the moment I heard it there was a pulling at the very strings of my heart.  It reminds me of the limitless ability of humans to show either compassion or selfishness.

It was a chilly fall night, perfumed with the scent of ripening leaves, when Larry Wagner stepped out into the hotel parking lot and began his journey.  Quickly, he glanced over his shoulder and through the dirt streaked glass, saw his wife and two children sitting in the dingy waiting room of the Hotel 8.  Having traveled the entire way from Oklahoma to North Carolina, he was in no mood to find out that the hotels wouldn’t take his personal checks.  After heaping all the cash that he and his wife Rosa had on the counter, the hotel attendant informed the family that they were still six dollars short.  

Now as he opened the door to the old green family van, the smell of vomit was overpowering.  His two year old, Sam, had suffered many bouts of car sickness on the long drive, and needless to say a plastic bag could only catch so much.  He had a splitting headache from listening to his four year old Brian, sing along with the Barney tape, while shoving graham crackers into his mouth. Weary to the bone, he set out hoping to find someone generous enough to give him six dollars without expecting anything in return.  Larry figured this should be a fairly easy task as he wasn’t asking for a million dollars.

Heading down the road in Chapel Hill he saw a Harris Teeter on the right and pulled into the parking lot.  Spotting an older couple perched on a bench he parked the car and began heading over to them.  It must be wonderful to love someone for so long, he thought to himself, as he saw the old couple full of wrinkles and dulling eyes, clutching one another to block out the brisk breeze.  

Now standing in front of the couple he came to a stop and said, “Pardon me...I don’t mean to bother you, but my family and I are traveling from the west and the hotels here will not accept our checks.  We just need six dollars to be able to stay the night, do you think you could help a fellow out?”  The old woman looked up at him as if carefully considering his plight but suddenly looked down at the hands clasped in her lap.  And the old man was even quicker to answer in a sharp cracking voice that with age had become rusty and worn, “Young man you ought to be ashamed of yourself.  Bringing your entire family across the country and not being able to provide for them.  In my day a man had responsibilities that he took seriously and didn’t beg strangers for money.”

Momentarily shocked, Larry stood with his mouth slightly opening and closing, like a fish gulping for water.  Attempting to compose himself he muttered, “I’m sorry to have bothered you”, and briskly walked back to his van.  Heading back out onto the road he contemplated what had just happened.  Where had he gone wrong?  He’d chosen two people who obviously knew what love and tolerance meant to have been in love for so long.  They wore nice clothing and appeared well to do.  He’d been polite...so what had been the problem?  Perhaps it was just a fluke accident he reasoned, as he pulled into a Wendy’s hoping that someone would be able to spare a few dollars in this place.

Entering the restaurant he shivered as the blast of cool air conditioning hit him and caused goose bumps to break out on his arms.  Looking towards the line he saw a rather overweight lady with floppy arms and kankles, and an aura that showed how little she cared for her own up keeping.  She payed for a large meal, perhaps big enough to feed both him and his wife, and received a handful of dollar bills back.  If only he could have those, his family would have a warm place to stay the night.  He watched the lady carry her overburdened tray to a booth near the exit.  Approaching carefully he tried the same tactic he had previously tried.  “Pardon me...I don’t mean to bother you, but my family and I are traveling from the west and the hotels here will not accept our travelers checks.  We just need six dollars to be able to stay the night, do you think you could help a fellow out?”  

Barely glancing up the lady muttered while sending chunks of potato flying from her mouth, “I aint got none.”   She went back to unwrapping her hamburger as if she were a one of those starving children you see on television who haven’t been fed properly in years.  “Well Thanks anyways,” Larry grunted unhappily.  Discouraged he looked around the restaraunt but the only person in it was a young college  kid.  He remembered what it was like in college, never having money...living off the pennies in your pockets...and decided not to bother the young man.

Heavy at heart he headed back out to his van and began backing up almost ready to give up on finding six dollars.  But he heard a knock on his window and saw the young man standing there.  Rolling down the windows Larry asked what this guy wanted.  He didn’t expect anything good after all that he’d just been through.

The boy answered, “Well I just heard what you said in there and wanted to hook you up with a few bucks.  I don’t have much but I think I can spare six dollars for your family.”  He poked a handful of money into the car and handed it to Larry who gratefully accepted it.  “How old are you,” asked Larry.  “Twenty," came the reply.  “Well don’t ever change.  Remember what it’s like to be twenty forever.  I can’t pay you back, but God see’s the things people do and one day you will get your reward tenfold,” said Larry.  The boy smiled and back away from the car and headed back into the restaurant with a wave.  And Larry rolled up the window thankful for the fresh spirit of fall wind that had aired out the van while he was speaking to the stranger.  His journey complete, Larry pulled out and headed back down the road to his wife and children with the six dollars tucked into his pocket.  Somehow he thought he’d never look at his loose change the same way.