Lesson From A Broken Dream

Seated on a frozen lake, the guy over there is reading the paper. I can almost read on his lips the big title from the front page: “Polar Vortex Here To Stay”. For each breath, a small puffy cloud of condensation comes out. He is wearing a dark hat and a long, very long coat on which he is seated. A red scarf caught on a nearby tree must be his. He seems to be quite different, he challenges the ordinary with a certain style. It is rare to witness such a thing. In the normal world this guy should have been seated on a bench near the lake. If this situation ever happens to you remember that in these moments it is important to challenge yourself to step out of the norm. After a short reflexion, I did it, I stepped on the frozen lake, walked by the guy, and said:

- “Good morning!

-Oh yeah, beautiful morning isn’t it?

-You’re damn right.

It was a cold and humid morning, clouds had been around for the past 4 months straight.

-Can I offer you a cup of coffee? he said with a strong Chicago accent.

-I’d love one.

-Feel free to seat down, the ice is solid these days.

I sat down close to him, he folded his paper and set it on the ice. He then took off his leather gloves and pulled out of a small bag behind him two paper cups filled with the most flavorful java I have tasted to this day.