Man on the Bench

I went to Kohl\’s department store on Saturday, and on my way I noticed an elderly man sitting on the bench outside the store. He was wearing enormous sunglasses, just sitting still, watching the world go by.

I froze and watched him. For a moment, I wondered what that guy must be thinking. Is he saying to himself, \”I\’ve lived a full life, raised a family, fought in a war, and now here I am – the old guy on the bench outside Kohl\’s?\” Is he satisfied with the way his life turned out?

I immediately realized that there\’s a 100% chance that someday I\’m the old guy on the bench outside Kohl\’s. And I wondered what I would be saying to myself while sitting on the bench. Would I be satisfied with my life up to that point? Would I be wondering if I did enough to change the world in any real positive way? Would I think I did enough to teach my kids right from wrong? Would I have any lingering regrets about the way I led my life? Or would I just be saying to myself, \”God dammit, there\’s so much more I could have done, but now I\’m just stuck here on this damn bench watching people shop at Kohl\’s?\”

Then I bought some socks.