WORKING MAN

Most would walk by or overlook this picture. It took a 13-year-old boy to make it mean something to me. Walking into a room filled with sports equipment, smelly clothes and computer gadgets all over the place, I found myself awed staring at a giant poster of this picture on my little cousin’s wall. Of all his hobbies, interests and immaturity, I would have never guessed in a million years to find this picture hanging up on his wall.

“Why Harry? Why do you have this picture?”

For him, this was the “coolest” picture of all time. I was looking at him as he explained to me how none of the men had a care in the world. They were hundreds and hundreds of feet up in the air, and yet they took the time to dangle their feet and enjoy their lunch. They woke up to work; they were the working men of their time, the men who built the foundations of our city under our feet. He then told me his dreams of becoming the greatest engineer of all time and how he will be the working man of his generation. Such a mature and incredibly modest and humble reflection coming from him was a moment that I am sure I will never forget.

As he told me his thoughts I no longer saw my little baby crazy cousin- I saw a young man.  How time flies. The little boy who use to run around the house in his Spiderman undies and rollerblades; The little boy who use to go into his moms closet only to put on her red high heels and runway walk up and down the hallways- This little boy, now growing into a man, a working man.