A Tale of Two Men

It was a cold, rainy day when I saw the man come into the tire shop. He walked with a swagger; the swagger of a man who had been someone, someone special. But his face told a different story, a story of bitterness and lost hope. He helped himself to a free cup of coffee provided by the management for waiting customers, and sat down to warm and dry himself. He wasn’t purchasing anything and I soon discovered that this was a daily visit and was his opportunity to discuss the political flavor of the day.

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“Students today are a waste! No effort, no concern about important things. Only interested in technological gimmicks.” I bit. “Do you teach?” “Use to.” I quickly found out that this man had been a physics professor at a prestigious university. “Scientific study is dead in this society.” “Why do you believe scientific inquiry is lost?” I queried. Waiting for tires can really be a boring experience and a five year old edition of People magazine fails to tweak my interests. I expected him to bemoan the lack of student preparation, parental pandering, or some other common excuse for failure. “Damn, greedy capitalists! The entire scientific community has gone to hell because of these self-serving idiots.” He gleamed when he recalled his communist peers at the university where he had served and spoke of those days longingly. Before I had a chance to respond, the owner of the establishment came into the waiting area. He wore a broad smile and joked pleasantly with his customers. He was an elderly gentleman who had served in the United States Navy during WWII. When he returned home from the war he got a job at a local gasoline station. Since tires were still in short supply, he traveled a distance to purchase four recaps at a reasonable price. To cover his costs, he bought eight tires instead of four, and sold the four extras for a profit. From that point on he continued to buy tires, eventually bought the business where he worked, and developed the largest tire store in the area. He took a risk, invested his time and capital, and reaped a reward for his efforts. He offered a quality product at a reasonable price. He also offered a warm, dry waiting area and free coffee to anyone who came to his establishment, even if they weren’t going to buy anything. Soon after the owner’s arrival, and after a few exchanged words, the old professor exited into the rain and the cold, anticipating another visit on the morrow. I never did get the chance to respond to his comments. Maybe it’s best. But if I could have, I would have asked him, “Who will provide the roof to protect you from the rain, the heat to comfort you from the cold, and the coffee to fill your stomach when the damn, greedy capitalists are all gone?” David Berresford is a writer and motivational speaker who earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern New Mexico University with majors in history and religion and his Master of Educational Administration degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He completed additional studies at The University of Dayton, Indiana University of Continuing Studies, Kent State University, Youngstown State University, Kentucky Christian College, Eastern Christian College, and Ashland University. In addition to being a public school teacher for seventeen years and an elementary school principal for ten years he has served throughout his life in various Christian ministries. He has also had the opportunity to present messages and seminars in several states and his first book, A Yellow Raincoat & Other Memories, A Journey to Hope, was released in June 2008. His Web site is ajourneytohope.net