The Shuffling Old Man

The Shuffling Old Man. Photo by Thomas Hawk

In my street, there’s an elderly man.

Every day, he goes for a walk and passes my office window.

Rain, hail or shine, I see him shuffling past, bent over and frail.

He never moves quickly, but he’s always moving.

I don’t know where he’s going or which house he comes from, but this proud, resolute gentleman has my admiration.

Because he may be only shuffling, but he is on the move.

He may be moving slowly, but he is making progress.

He may look frail, but he doesn’t let it stop him.

Step by step, one foot in front of the other, he moves inexorably down the street.

If our eyes meet, I smile and say g’day and am reminded that:

no matter your situation, you can always keep moving,
no matter how tempting it may be to sit on the couch and do nothing, you’re always better off on your feet,
no matter how many excuses you have for not taking action, none of them are good enough,
if you keep moving forward, even if you only feel as though you’re shuffling, you’ll eventually reach your goals.

So, thank you to my shuffling old neighbour for your resolute nature.

His daily walks may seem like a necessary part of your day to him, but they are a constant source of inspiration to me.