Influencing a fellow human being.

This morning. I was in Scottsdale. In Arizona. Sitting on a bench. A woman in the Old Republic Title Agency office, looking out a window, saw me there. And she envied me. She came out and told me so. Because I was reading a book. Relaxed. And she said she wished she could trade places with me. I liked that. That this woman sensed that I knew how to live. That I was at peace. She reaffirmed what I was doing at the moment. Living life the way it should be lived. With my mere presence on that bench, I was speaking to that woman. Speaking to her need. To her desire. Demonstrating. And I suspect that woman went home from work today, and practiced the right way to live. Doing exactly what she wanted to do. To achieve peace and contentment. And that makes me feel good. Like I performed a good deed today. I had positively influenced a fellow human being. Another soul. Out of the blue. Just by sitting on a bench and reading a book. --Jim Broede