CategoryInspiration

As a child growing up in the country, and I mean way in the country, I lived at the end of a mile long dirt road. “Randy Road” was the name of this dirt road. Being it was a dirt/gravel road, it required monthly (maybe even bi-weekly — I can’t remember it’s been so long ago) maintenance to keep it flat, smooth, and drive-able. The maintenance was performed by an older man driving a large road grader (slightly smaller than the one pictured). Without the maintenance, the road would develop deep holes and bumps due to rain.

As a small boy, as you can imagine, this road grader was larger-than-life. Enormous. It had to move kind of slow to do a good job flattening the road. With it’s rumbling and roaring engine and grading of the road, I could hear it coming when it got to within a quarter to half a mile away. I would sprint down our driveway to watch the big machine go by our house (actually it was a trailer/mobile home).

Seeing the big machine would have been special for this little boy in-and-of-itself, but you see, the old man driving and waving at me made it just a bit more special… he would throw bubble gum to me from the big rig! Super Bubble gum to be exact. I’m tearing up while writing this… just remembering the excitement I had of this childhood memory. This would be the highlight of my week. I have no idea of this mans name, and I’m sure by this time he has since passed away. I hope he knows how special he made my childhood (and many other kids). You see, he wasn’t just giving out gum, he was giving out love, joy, and happiness. I, of course, didn’t see it that way as a child, but I sure do as an adult.

My point of this story? Be the road grader to someone (especially a child).