walt

The brother of the mother of my children sent me this story (Thanks, Dick!) which I paraphrase. An older man worked as a Walmart greeter and was well liked among all. He assisted folk who needed it, greeted customers by name as he got to know them, and generally provided an atmosphere enjoyed by both customer and employee. One thing bothered his boss, a younger man quite conscientious in the performance of his supervisory duties. The older man, Walt, was always 15 minutes or more late. No matter what the supervisor said, Walt's lateness never changed. Otherwise his job performance was exemplary. Finally, the boss had enough and called Walt into his office. "Walt, you were in the military, weren't you?" "Yes, I was." "Well, what did they say to you if you were late there?" "They said, Colonel, would you like me to bring you a cup of coffee?"

Older folk walk by us all the time and we perhaps dismiss them with a glance. We never know what richness lives within the shape and form of a geezer ("guiser: one who is not as they appear").