A young, successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars ready to slow down if he saw something.
Suddenly a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door! He slammed on the brakes, backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown and jumped out of the car. He grabbed the kid standing there and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, “What the hell was that all about and why did you do it? That’s a new car and it’s going to cost a lot of money to fix the damage. ”
The young boy was apologetic. “Please, mister…please, I’m sorry but I didn’t know what else to do,” He pleaded. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop…” With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. “It’s my brother, “he said “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.” Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”
The driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat and hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair. He then took out his linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. “Thank you and God bless you,” the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a slow, thoughtful walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but he never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept it there to remind him of this message: “Don’t go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!”
When you go down the road of life, slow down and listen to the whispers of your soul. They’re gentler than a brick and far less painful.
~kenji