Look at the View

A few years ago, Anna Quindlen wrote a book called A Short Guide to a Happy Life that was inspired by a commencement speech she gave to a high school.  In this book she tells a story about meeting a homeless man on a bridge overlooking the ocean.  She sat down beside him and struck up a conversation.  He told her how he wondered from place to place in order to survive.  He described how he used abandoned newspapers to cover his head when it was raining.  Sensing she was uptight, he told her to "look at the view." 

Quindlen says she often thinks of the powerful message and lesson she learned from this man with no place to go, nothing to do, and with no one.  She said she tries to remember to look at the view.  I was reminded of this story a few years ago.  We took our sons to Hawaii for the first time and there was a man on the beach making creative items out of palm branches.  Since I was intrigued with his work, so I decided to buy one of his bowls.  He wanted me to pay him in advance (which was less than $10) because I could not wait for him to make it.  When he asked me what was my hurry, I replied that I had an appointment for this and a time to meet my family and ...

He asked me how come I was so busy if I was supposed to be on vacation?  Then he said to me, "I have the ocean as my front yard.  Look at that view."  It was only then that I realized this man was homeless, but he was articulate and creative.  I was amazed at how relaxed he was.  He was teaching me something that I have remembered ever sense:  Look at the view.  It sounds so easy, but it is so hard to do.