We had a visitor this last week and he slept out under the willows in the back yard. There was not a lot of protection for him, as he was out in the open part of the day, and when the man thru some corn out to him, he moved closer to the tree and snuggled his nose into his tail. He looked just a like a fur ball! He was a long lost cousin and he was hardly moving. I was concerned as it was cold outside and colder at night. A lot colder than I, but the man remembered a day not so long ago when it was really cold!
And I Mean COLD!!!
It was the winter of 1981, and it started early with a lot of snow. People were concerned that roofs would start collapsing as the snow just kept piling up in November and December. The man spent many a cold day climbing on roofs to shovel heaping piles of snow off of them.
But earlier that year, the man had met a next door neighbor and his nickname was “Angel” and little did the man know he was a walking breathing live angel. There were a lot of angels that winter that hung around the man and his sons that fall and winter, as his marriage had dissolved the previous fall and they now were in day to day existence for survival.
“Angel” showed up in the fall of that year as he was transferred into town with Convoy Trucking and the song “Convoy” was just hitting the airwaves. They developed a fast friendship and used to play air hockey in the basement of the apartment building after the kids had gone to bed. Angel was married and had 2 sons, and Gloria – his wife – would look after “the mans” boys while he hunted for work or did odd jobs. There was very little work in construction and one day the man heard about a company that was hiring on the other side of the cities. The man called the company, and the guy asked the man when he could start, and the man said as soon as he lined up a day care provider. A quick question was fired back from the guy about maybe the man’s wife should arrange that, and the man informed him that he was divorced and had sole custody. Immediately, the guy said, that he had changed his mind as “the man” would be missing too much work due to sick kids, appointments at school, and such. “Thanks for calling, I need someone reliable” and hung up.
Later that day, Angel and the man went for a ride and they got into a discussion about the phone call and how pissed the man was about people and their opinions. The man said his language was quite colorful that afternoon Angel listened patiently and then turned down a side street. He stated that the man was at a point in his life and he had two choices. The 1st choice was to keep on - keeping on - and not see the lessons being presented, or to make a second choice and to figure out what he was to learn. Under the 1st choice, the man would be doomed to repeating mistakes over and over again and his attitude and life would be miserable and negative. He would grow old and bitter and have few friends.
The second choice would propel his life forward with each new choice, he would enjoy life and living, he would see the joy in each moment, and each challenge would be an opportunity for him to grow. Angel pointed to the houses and added further “Each person on this block has the same choices, and some folks will choose to stay where they are, and others will choose to learn and move on. It is your choice what your life will look like, it is your choice if you chose to learn from life or stay here. Either way, it is your choice to be miserable and a victim, or to be happy.”
Then it started to snow, and after the snow, true to Minnesota, it started to turn cold. It was so cold ---- but let me try to describe it.
Around Xmas, Angel arrived home from work and informed his family that he was being transferred to Los Angeles, and the company wanted him down there within 20 days. They started packing the boxes, and the trucking company arranged for his goods to be moved. The day the moving company showed up the temperatures started dropping. That night, the temperature hit 10 below. The next night it was 15 below. And the temperature kept going south. The 3rd night the air temps were 20+ below and the wind started blowing off of the prairie. The next day, when Angel was leaving, blowing snow was creating almost blizzard conditions and the wind chill temps were in the extreme dangerous category approaching 76 below zero. Stepping outside made one gasp for breathe and clench ones teeth. They chattered and they knew what it felt like in the Yukon. It was frigid that evening as the man drove Angel and his family to the airport, and as they walked thru the terminal, Angel said he would call me from LA upon landing and let the man know what temperature it was there.
Around midnight, the phone rang, and it was Angel laughing and that the temperature was in the 70’s and he just warmed up by 100+ degrees. He laughed and said the man should consider moving to California, and they would talk again. He left a number, and the man called a week later, however Angel had moved further south by that time and it was the last "the man" heard from him.
Every winter when it turns cold, "the man" thinks of Angel and the “gift” of wisdom that he was given. "The man" said that, that winter a lot of “angels” came to visit and encourage him on. He had an angel landlord play backgammon for rent. And for 3 months, the roll of the dice paid for the rent. Finally, the landlord said he was “unconscious” and refused to play any more. That landlord is now one of “the mans” best friends today.
Have you had any Angels visit you?
But earlier that year, the man had met a next door neighbor and his nickname was “Angel” and little did the man know he was a walking breathing live angel. There were a lot of angels that winter that hung around the man and his sons that fall and winter, as his marriage had dissolved the previous fall and they now were in day to day existence for survival.
“Angel” showed up in the fall of that year as he was transferred into town with Convoy Trucking and the song “Convoy” was just hitting the airwaves. They developed a fast friendship and used to play air hockey in the basement of the apartment building after the kids had gone to bed. Angel was married and had 2 sons, and Gloria – his wife – would look after “the mans” boys while he hunted for work or did odd jobs. There was very little work in construction and one day the man heard about a company that was hiring on the other side of the cities. The man called the company, and the guy asked the man when he could start, and the man said as soon as he lined up a day care provider. A quick question was fired back from the guy about maybe the man’s wife should arrange that, and the man informed him that he was divorced and had sole custody. Immediately, the guy said, that he had changed his mind as “the man” would be missing too much work due to sick kids, appointments at school, and such. “Thanks for calling, I need someone reliable” and hung up.
Later that day, Angel and the man went for a ride and they got into a discussion about the phone call and how pissed the man was about people and their opinions. The man said his language was quite colorful that afternoon Angel listened patiently and then turned down a side street. He stated that the man was at a point in his life and he had two choices. The 1st choice was to keep on - keeping on - and not see the lessons being presented, or to make a second choice and to figure out what he was to learn. Under the 1st choice, the man would be doomed to repeating mistakes over and over again and his attitude and life would be miserable and negative. He would grow old and bitter and have few friends.
The second choice would propel his life forward with each new choice, he would enjoy life and living, he would see the joy in each moment, and each challenge would be an opportunity for him to grow. Angel pointed to the houses and added further “Each person on this block has the same choices, and some folks will choose to stay where they are, and others will choose to learn and move on. It is your choice what your life will look like, it is your choice if you chose to learn from life or stay here. Either way, it is your choice to be miserable and a victim, or to be happy.”
Then it started to snow, and after the snow, true to Minnesota, it started to turn cold. It was so cold ---- but let me try to describe it.
Around Xmas, Angel arrived home from work and informed his family that he was being transferred to Los Angeles, and the company wanted him down there within 20 days. They started packing the boxes, and the trucking company arranged for his goods to be moved. The day the moving company showed up the temperatures started dropping. That night, the temperature hit 10 below. The next night it was 15 below. And the temperature kept going south. The 3rd night the air temps were 20+ below and the wind started blowing off of the prairie. The next day, when Angel was leaving, blowing snow was creating almost blizzard conditions and the wind chill temps were in the extreme dangerous category approaching 76 below zero. Stepping outside made one gasp for breathe and clench ones teeth. They chattered and they knew what it felt like in the Yukon. It was frigid that evening as the man drove Angel and his family to the airport, and as they walked thru the terminal, Angel said he would call me from LA upon landing and let the man know what temperature it was there.
Around midnight, the phone rang, and it was Angel laughing and that the temperature was in the 70’s and he just warmed up by 100+ degrees. He laughed and said the man should consider moving to California, and they would talk again. He left a number, and the man called a week later, however Angel had moved further south by that time and it was the last "the man" heard from him.
Every winter when it turns cold, "the man" thinks of Angel and the “gift” of wisdom that he was given. "The man" said that, that winter a lot of “angels” came to visit and encourage him on. He had an angel landlord play backgammon for rent. And for 3 months, the roll of the dice paid for the rent. Finally, the landlord said he was “unconscious” and refused to play any more. That landlord is now one of “the mans” best friends today.
Have you had any Angels visit you?
3 comments:
well I'm not sure of that... but what I'm sure of is that the story has touched my heart... i liked your blog and the photos as well.. i would surely drop by your blog again....!!!
How lovely and poignant! Angels indeed.
love the new blog look!
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