LONELY STREET

LONELY STREET

There was a song recorded by Andy Williams in 1959 called "Lonely Street”

Some of the words are; Where’s this place called Lonely Street?A place where there’s just loneliness-where dim lights bring forgetfulness-where broken dreams and memories meet-where’s this place called Lonely Street?”.It is I, who have found the loneliness in the streets of forgotten people, in endless jobs of opportunity.These workers have undesirable positions of employment that many of us would not do, and for what they do, they receive ingratitude and are mostly invisible as we pass them by.

A few years ago on December 28, my wife and I were driving home from Virginia. We stopped at a rest area in Maryland. This little oasis was just off the highway. I went into the men’s rest room and noticed how neat and clean it was kept. There was an older man, a custodian, cleaning the area. When I was leaving, I reached from my wallet and took out some bills. I spoke to the man and remarked to him, how clean the rest room was, and what a good job he had done. I said, “I know you guys never get a tip, here’s a little something for you. Merry Christmas.” I handed him the money. He looked at me suspiciously, and then smiled. He took the money I gave him, thanking me as we shook hands. I moved away, and walked back to my car. Snow was starting to fall, it was bitter cold, but I was very warm inside, as I knew I had just melted a heart. Intercession, for a man, cast away in a little oasis, in an endless job of cleaning toilets. He will always remember when someone reached out and touched his heart, not with money, but with compassion.

So too,our weekly trash  pick up comes by with  a driver and two helpers outside holding on the rear of the truck. They pick up the heavy paper bags filled with grass clippings and other yard debris struggling to get them into the truck. On cold or rainy days these workers come by doing a job that many of us take for granted. One day I stopped the driver and handed him some money and said, “You guys never get a tip. Here is something to brighten your day. I will take care of your two helpers also”.I went to the rear of the truck and gave each man some money and said,” Here’s a little something to brighten your day”. And so, on these lonely streets we find the opportunity to intercede and touch someone's heart and fill them with kindness and recognition. 

Robert J Varrick

rjvarrick@gmail.com