Work No One Wanted

I know a shoe store owner. He has a shoe store across the street from a soup kitchen.

One day I was picking up some work boots that I had resoled. We got to chatting...

Seems one morning, while sweeping his sidewalk, he was talking to the lady who runs the soup kitchen. During their conversation she said something about all the people that couldn't find work.

Eh...

He stated his point of view that, no, the bigger problem was the people didn't really want to work. After a bit more discussion on the topic, he reached in his pocket, pulled out $20.00.

He handed the $20 to her and told her, she could tell anyone who came into the soup kitchen they could come over and sweep the sidewalk out front of the shoe store, if they did, they could have the $20.00! He'd supply the broom...

Now this section of sidewalk is only about 50 to 60 feet long at most and about 10 feet wide. On a bad day, I think I could do that in, at most, 20 minutes.

Well the day went by... Not one person showed up.

She came over at the end of her day and handed him the $20.00.

With a really sad look on her face and a tear in her eye, she said, I can't believe it, but you were right...

Common, if you would play around it still wouldn't take more than a half hour to do that. That would work out to $40.00 an hour... If, you would really just do the job and get done, 15 minutes, you'd be paid at a rate of $80.00 per hour...

Now, I myself had ideas that if he was willing to pay $20.00 to sweep that sidewalk... Maybe I should offer to come every day! For me, well I live about a half hour away. I've got to much to get done now. So an hour drive time and the time to do the job, well guess I'll have to pass...

Now if I lived in the city... Think that would have been a different.

Now I know these store owners have a lot to do. If someone had even a little gumption, talked to a whole block of store owners, just how much do you think they could earn for just a couple of hours work a day? No experience needed, no overhead except a broom, easy schedule, early quit, and could probably even chat with people while your doing it...

Heard a guy say one time, “Anything the mind can conceive and believe in, Can be achieved”.

I adopted that! It's done me well...

Don't cry in your Cheerio's and try and tell me ya can't find work.

Come down off your cloud, decide you are going to do whatever it takes, and find it.

It's there, but nobody is just going to walk up and give it to you.

Smile, be cheerful, be respectful, especially when it's undeserved, and have pride in anything you find to do. You'll do good!

I'm outta here! Time for another coffee then out to play, er, I mean work! (attitude again)

There may be snow on the ground, my bones may be a bit stiff, but as Fred sang,

“It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”!

Don't think I'll give you the rest of my rendition.

Might be slightly, an adult only version? : )