Meet The Trench Coat Guy
The Kinda Kind Series is about talking. And not talking. About gestures. And expressions. And sounds. And silence. It’s about all the curious ways we communicate. And sometimes it’s about just being Kinda Kind.
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What’s your first impression of this guy? First impression…Go ahead….
Ok, me first. My first thoughts? A little unstable. Kind of weird. Dangerous maybe… I don’t know but that crossed my mind. Talk to him? Nah. I didn’t think I would. (But I sure wanted to know his ‘story’.)
Ok, now that I’ve shown you how judgmental I can be….your turn…
Meet Bruce Parker, aka The Trench Coat Guy
Bruce is a 74 year old retired letter carrier. He delivered mail for years in Solana Beach, California. Now he lives in Oceanside, CA.
Over the years Bruce noticed that the retired people he delivered mail to often just sat in their chairs, life passing them by until, after a few years they simply passed away. He vowed not to let them happen to him.
“You have to find something that is interesting to you. Whether it is interesting to someone else is irrelevant. But you have to do what you enjoy doing as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody else.”
Bruce loves the beach and he loves being around people. But he had a problem. He had a long battle with melanoma.
So when he retired, he ditched the swimsuit for a long black trench coat. He walks the beach daily, usually near high tide, chatting with beach goers and getting pummeled by waves.
Was I 100% wrong about Bruce? You bet. Do I talk to him now? Yep. And call out and wave from my balcony when he walks by.
I’ve learned a lot from Bruce…
Thank you Bruce.
May your week be filled with kindness!
PS - Visit the Kindness Magnet Library for more kindness inspiration!
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COMMENTS:
What was your first impression when you looked at that first picture?
What do you think of Bruce now?
Hi! Got plans for this week?
What kindness habit can you do for yourself this week that makes you happy?
Anything else?
If you liked this story, I hope you’ll share it with your friends and inspire their day!
I see a man in a trench coat wading into the high surf and I think suicide. I was sure wrong! What a charming old guy -- and determined to live until he dies! Good inspiration, Heather. I had an adventure yesterday - I took a ride on a local city bus. Plotted out a test run to see how complicated it is to get where I need to go. I am thinking of giving up driving. You'd have thought I was going to New York. ha ha ha It was something entirely new to me. So I guess that counts?
My first thought was "It must really be cold where he is. And if it is, why is he getting in the water?" The way he's staring, I thought maybe he was saving someone. LOL But thank you for sharing his story. I feel like there could be a real story there. And by real, I mean romance fiction where "Bruce" ends up befriending the FMC on the beach and the next thing you know he's introducing her to his grandson... huh. <gets out notebook and writes down story idea and saves this link for later>