I Admire Inner Beauty
I once spent the day at a local hot springs (Glen Ivy). I slipped into a mineral bath to relax.
There was a man in the bath next to mine. I tried not to stare but he was one of the ugliest men I'd ever seen. And he had a sad look on his face as well. He was old, fat, had huge ears and a huge squashed nose and really bad skin, pock marked and warts.
Then two other men a few years younger than he was got into the tub with him. They looked a lot better than he did but anybody would have.
As the two men greeted him, the old man began to look more animated. One of the men asked him, "How's that granddaughter of yours?"
The old man's whole face lit up as he began to talk about his granddaughter, how pretty she was, how bright, how she would run to him shouting "Grandpa! Grandpa!!" every time he came to visit. She was about to turn four and he talked about how he was going to go shopping for a birthday present the next day. This old man smiled one of the biggest and most beautiful smiles I had ever seen. It was easy in my mind to envision how he must look to his little granddaughter and why she would run to him so eagerly.
Then the other man asked him, in a quiet, sympathetic tone, "How is your wife doing?"
The old man looked so sad he could hardly speak. The two men, obviously long time friends, waited patiently. The old man said, "She's not so good. You know the doctor said not to expect much improvement. He said she doesn't have much time left. She doesn't leave the house anymore. I do all the shopping, everything now..."
The old man's voice trailed off and tears came into his eyes. "You know we've been married for 55 years. I don't know what I'd do without her."
The two men spoke words of sympathy and they talked about his wife for a few minutes, recalling some of the good times they'd all shared. Looking at the old man's sad face, it was easy for me to envision how his wife must see him.
As they went on talking, they mentioned other people and talked about mechanical things and I realized the two younger men were his former co-workers from a machine shop where they'd all worked for many years. The old man had retired but they'd remained friends.
One of the men said, "It's working out fine with George, he knows what he's doing...but not like you did! He's young, so he just doesn't know as much. it just isn't the same since you left."
And I came to understand that the old man had been their foreman on the job. He'd been the one in charge. Listening to them, I could easily picture how good it would be to go in to a job every workday morning and know this man, this competent caring man with the big beautiful smile, was in charge.
I guess I don't have to tell you that by that time, only 20 minutes after I'd gotten into my mineral bath, I saw this man as truly beautiful. I envied all those people who knew him or were close to him.
I sat there, as before when I'd first seen him, trying not to stare...this time because he was so beautiful.
There was a man in the bath next to mine. I tried not to stare but he was one of the ugliest men I'd ever seen. And he had a sad look on his face as well. He was old, fat, had huge ears and a huge squashed nose and really bad skin, pock marked and warts.
Then two other men a few years younger than he was got into the tub with him. They looked a lot better than he did but anybody would have.
As the two men greeted him, the old man began to look more animated. One of the men asked him, "How's that granddaughter of yours?"
The old man's whole face lit up as he began to talk about his granddaughter, how pretty she was, how bright, how she would run to him shouting "Grandpa! Grandpa!!" every time he came to visit. She was about to turn four and he talked about how he was going to go shopping for a birthday present the next day. This old man smiled one of the biggest and most beautiful smiles I had ever seen. It was easy in my mind to envision how he must look to his little granddaughter and why she would run to him so eagerly.
Then the other man asked him, in a quiet, sympathetic tone, "How is your wife doing?"
The old man looked so sad he could hardly speak. The two men, obviously long time friends, waited patiently. The old man said, "She's not so good. You know the doctor said not to expect much improvement. He said she doesn't have much time left. She doesn't leave the house anymore. I do all the shopping, everything now..."
The old man's voice trailed off and tears came into his eyes. "You know we've been married for 55 years. I don't know what I'd do without her."
The two men spoke words of sympathy and they talked about his wife for a few minutes, recalling some of the good times they'd all shared. Looking at the old man's sad face, it was easy for me to envision how his wife must see him.
As they went on talking, they mentioned other people and talked about mechanical things and I realized the two younger men were his former co-workers from a machine shop where they'd all worked for many years. The old man had retired but they'd remained friends.
One of the men said, "It's working out fine with George, he knows what he's doing...but not like you did! He's young, so he just doesn't know as much. it just isn't the same since you left."
And I came to understand that the old man had been their foreman on the job. He'd been the one in charge. Listening to them, I could easily picture how good it would be to go in to a job every workday morning and know this man, this competent caring man with the big beautiful smile, was in charge.
I guess I don't have to tell you that by that time, only 20 minutes after I'd gotten into my mineral bath, I saw this man as truly beautiful. I envied all those people who knew him or were close to him.
I sat there, as before when I'd first seen him, trying not to stare...this time because he was so beautiful.
70-79, F
