the best streetsweeper ever
"If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
This morning I stopped at Tim Horton's for my fix of caffeine and sweetness. I am always impressed by this particular Tim Horton's because everyone there seems to be happy. There is always a line in the drive-thru, but it always moves with unbelievable speed. There are always a few Tim Hortonians at the window, working together to get my cafe mocha and blueberry bran muffin to me in record time ... and always with a smile. So it came as no surprise to me that the speed and friendliness were there today.
I was pulling out of the drive-thru line with my mocha safely in my drinkholder and my muffin on the seat next to me when I spotted him - the employee lucky enough to be sweeping the parking lot. I saw him standing there with his broom in hand, and I thought "poor guy, I'm sure he's loving his job right now." And then it happened. He looked at me and SMILED. And it wasn't a cheesy "Thanks for eating at Tim Horton's, have a nice day" canned kind of smile. It was a real, teeth-baring, eyes crinkling SMILE. This guy was happy. He was sweeping up cigarette butts and abandoned straw wrappers, and he seemed to actually enjoy it.
I was already in the middle of my turn out of the parking lot, so I resisted the urge to do a U-turn and thank this guy for smacking things into perspective for me. So if you're reading this, teenage Tim Horton's parking lot sweeper, thank you. Thanks for reminding me what it's all about ... how each of us is called to do the best we can in our particular role in life. Thank you for focusing on the task at hand and not gazing at the restaurant, wishing you were inside pouring hot coffee and serving donuts with sprinkles.
There lives a parking lot sweeper who does his job well.
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