About
ten years ago, a young and very successful executive named 'Josh' was travelling
down a Chicago neighbourhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his
sleek, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old. He
was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down
when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child darted out,
but a brick sailed out and WHUMP!! it smashed into the jag's shiny black
side door! SCREECH!! Brakes slammed! Gears ground into reverse, and tires
madly spun the Jaguar back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown.
Josh jumped out of the car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about
and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!" Building up a head
of steam, he went on, "That's my new jag, that brick you threw is gonna
cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?"
"Please,
mister, please...I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do!" pleaded the
youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" Tears were
dripping down the boy's chin as he pointed around the parked car. "It's
my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his
wheelchair and I can't lift him up." Sobbing, the boy asked the executive,
"Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and
he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the young executive tried desperately
to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted
the young boy into the wheelchair and took out his hankerchief and wiped
the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be okay.
He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their
home. It was a long walk back to the sleek, black, shining, 12 cylinder
Jaguar. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast,
that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention...some bricks
are softer than others. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you!