life is a story

This afternoon the August sun beat down on a group of people standing outside near downtown Fullerton, California. Some of them stand in the same spot for over two hours. A few sweat heavily under scarves and long-sleeve shirts. Perspiring is a welcome trade-off as long as sunburn is avoided. For a good number of these people, seeking shade brings about questions of their loitering, of their right to be there.

They're homeless.

The few hours of waiting in the heat might not feel great. But it's a guarantee that they'll eat for a few days. As you look around, you see hungry eyes looking over tables of food. Often they pass over refrigerated items. Without a house or kitchen, it would go bad in the summer heat. But you don't hear anyone complain; they've accepted this truth and instead search with increased veracity for things that will get them through the week.

The food bank is run by a church across the street. Church members volunteer to help out every week; signing in new guests, bagging vegetables and fruit, sliding as many canned goods as possible across the counter into grateful hands, yelling out orders to other volunteers manning the freezers, shuffling in the crowded room for some morsel requested by someone.

There's a necessary efficiency required in that room. Being efficient means feeding a family. It means cutting down the time an elderly woman has to stand in the heat. But the minute that room is limited to efficiency, guests receiving food become a goal, rather than people to know and love.

In the claustrophobic, cluttered space of the food bank, even the most patient volunteers can lose sight of the reality standing just outside the door in a line...highly dependant on the work happening inside. No one said loving people is always easy.

But luckily for the volunteers, every once in a while they receive reminders of why they're there in the first place.

One of those reminders is Cowboy Jack.

Cowboy Jack can talk to anyone. If you can muster the courage to introduce yourself, worry no more. Jack will take care of the rest for you.

He comes to the food bank almost every week. His usual attire includes blue jeans, a flannel shirt with the few top buttons unfastened, and of course a cowboy hat.

His smile consists of only a few yellowed teeth, but what it lacks in fullness it makes up for in warmth. There's a gentle way about the 65-year-old or so man, one that makes you feel comfortable right away.

When Cowboy Jack makes his way through the food line, there's always plenty of thank you's and pleases. If the food bank is out of an item, it's never a big deal to him.

"I'm just thankful you guys are out here," he'll tell you.

Life is a story, and if you take the time to listen, Jack will tell you his.

He was born and raised in Pennsylvania until he was 18. He moved to California where's he's remained, minus a few years in Texas. Jack lives in a low-income housing development. His one-room apartment is 9 feet by 11 feet. But he'll assure you it's all the room he needs.

His neighbors are mostly people with mental illnesses. His nights are filled with the sounds of disturbed neighbors screaming and rambling. But Jack laughs and jokes about the funny things he's heard. It might not be what he prefers, but he's making the best of it.

When Cowboy Jack's neighbor got thrown in jail, he took in her cat until she returned. While caring for it, the cat had kittens, which Jack decided to keep. He'd never raised a cat before, but judging by the cat watch fastened around his lanky wrist, felines have made a good impression on him.

Jack is a great listener. When you talk to him, he's attentive and appreciative of every word. That's a hard thing to come by these days. Sure, he loves telling people about his life. But he's more than interested in yours too.

Cowboy Jack likes to help the elderly woman volunteers set up before the food bank opens for the day. He often arrives early, but not to secure a good spot in line. today he was one of the last people to receive food.

Thanks Cowboy Jack. For reminding me of what it means to live in gratitude. For showing me how to be selfless. For loving the people around you.