Courtney

Today was my day off of work, so I decided to go down to the social security office to get my name changed. I was not looking forward to go down there and sit for hours. When I got there. I took my number. #307. They were just barley calling #279. Just lovely. So I sat down and tried to get comfortable. When they called the numbers, you could barley understand, it was so muffled. The man sitting next to me leaned over and asked, "Can you hear what number they are calling?" I replied that I could, and told him I would let him know when they reached his number. Me and this man (who did not have the nicest, cleanest appearance) started talking. He asked me if he was in the right place to get a new social security card, I told him he was and to further the conversation I joked about him losing his original. He proceeded to tell me that he didn't lose his card, that he was attacked recently. A man crushed his skull into the pavement and robbed him. He was in the hospital for weeks, and can't remember a thing. Now for those of you who don't already know, my amazing dad was just recently diagnosed with dementia, so this was kind of a touchy subject for me. He continued to tell me all about himself. He said he was from Paris, he grew up speaking French, English, and German. He was born at the biggest English hospital in Paris. He said the only reason he knew that stuff about himself, was because he had talked to his mother earlier, and she had reminded him. I told him how sorry I was for him, and how brave I thought he was. I told him I could empathize with him about losing his memory because of my dad. With the biggest smile on his face, this man shook his head at me and said "Don't you be sorry for me, or for your dad either. I am a man that believes that my body isn't me. I have a spirit inside of me. That spirit is me. My body is what isn't working how I would like it to, but my spirit is fine. And I know one day, I'm going to be perfect." Whose to say if this man was the same religion as I am, all I know is that I needed to be reminded that in regards to my dad. Apparently, I needed a random man to do it. People are definitely put into your life for a reason, whether to teach you something, to help you through something, or to remind you of something. Don't take these people for granted.