Cleaner Path Behind

Walking on my usual route to the coffee house, I was shocked to see how many people were out early in the day doing their shopping. There’s a little plaza down the street with a few stores—groceries store, furniture store, restaurants, etc. It felt like it was 6pm. Coming around the corner walking towards the stop light, I see an elderly woman with her cart walking towards me. She must have been in her late 60’s with her hat, sunglasses and about 5’2’’. No biggie. I figured she is off to get her shopping done. As we get closer, I see her pause and look to her side. She bent over to pick up what seemed to be plastic wrapper of some sort from the grass. With gentleness she places the item in a side bag she had on one of the handles from the cart. By this time, we are face to face and says something I cannot make out. I gently asked to repeat and says, ‘I got my little bag here, I’ll put this where it belongs (her little waste bag) and carry on’. I say what a wonderful thing you’re doing and keeping things looking unpolluted. Mind you our feet never stopped; we simply slowed our pace to exchange a few words. As she picked up speed and past me, she turned back, nodded and said, ‘I leave a cleaner place behind me’. I smiled at her. She was on a mission. Got me thinking… projects are good to have. I’m sure she could have stayed home or watched TV, but you can tell she was proud of what she was doing and all with a sense of joy. No matter how small or big, if we move towards something, it impacts people. Even if the person doesn’t know the impacted it made from the population. I could learn from her.