Spare A Story?

“Devasty, devasty, got any devastation for The Hopeless?” he calls out hopefully, “Looking for a good story! Any story helps!” the old man wheezes. He’s drowning in many layers of clothes and a very big coat. He looks sad there, sitting in his little space on the sidewalk and rattling his cup at people passing by. Most of these pedestrians keep to themselves, trying not to make eye contact. They continue walking, albeit somewhat guiltily. He knows that not everyone is in a position to give. Some stories are more boring than others, and some of the rare juicy ones are difficult to share. A rather hesitant young man walks up to him soon enough.

“I, um, I think that I’ve got a story for you, Old Man. It’s not likely to cheer you up though.”

 “I doubt that very much.” the older man says as he tilts his head and gives a crinkly smile.

“Well then,” he sighs, “Do you mind if I sit down with you? It’s kind of a long story.”

They exchanged the miseries and joys of their experiences and comforted each other. Onlookers would glance at them curiously for a few seconds, before making their way to their important meetings and important things to rush to, to occupy their time. Each person with a mystery inside of their heads, and some would have been fascinated with the unraveling of these two mysteries sitting on the sidewalk. Footsteps pounded heavily down in front of them, and the hum of the city was the constant background music to the tales they told one another. After it had been quiet between the odd pair for a while, the younger man came to a realization. Sitting there, on the cold hard concrete, next to this real person who needs stories just as much as anyone else, he says “Good stories need conflict, don’t they? That’s what my life has been. All this conflict is a part of my personal story, and you’ve had conflict too; and sharing the burden of it can ease the pain, making it easier to get to the resolution.”

The old man nods and says, “Thank you for sharing your devastation with me. People like you give me hope.”

When the young man gets up to walk away, his steps feel just a little bit lighter.