Hear Jim’s Red Clay diary: https://youtu.be/tL9EHBPrAbo

or read his story below…

Life, actually…

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BIG GRIN MORNING, BIG GRIN EVENING

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My fast-food drive-through order completed via raspy speaker and dancing screen, I proceed (in an orderly manner) to wend my way via automobile to the “pay” window.

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Directing customers one by one is an elderly man sitting outside in the cold rain, plastic clothing barely protecting him from the damp chill.

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He has a big smile on his face.

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Nothing to do while I’m awaiting my turn, but to engage him.

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I roll down the window and say something like, “This is the perfect day for not coming to work.”

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His smile gets bigger and he shouts out in a husky voice, “No, man, this is great. I like working outdoors. This is a good job!”

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He means it, I can tell. And his demeanor and comment make me grin all over. The rest of the morning isn’t so bad.

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Then, last night, Liz and I are leaving the house to dine with friends. Across the street, a middle-aged pizza delivery man is pulling to the curb and gathering his goodies to bring to a neighbor’s house.

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Since I’m home from work for the evening, I wonder how he feels about this repetitive job.

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I sing out, “I guess it feels like a long time till midnight right now.” He immediately gets my meaning and breaks out in a full-face smile. “Oh, this is no problem at all. I really like this work…you know I’ve been doing it for fourteen years!”

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I reflect back his smile and congratulate him. He pauses a moment to engage.

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“I think maybe you’ve delivered to my house before,” I say.

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He says, “You mean that one?” pointing to our yellow 1906 home with white picket fence.

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“Yep, that’s us,” I reply.

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“Oh, yeah, I’ve delivered to y’all plenty of times,” he boasts proudly.

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Now I recognize him and realize he’s right.

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“Well, we really appreciate you…and we’ll see you at our house next time!”

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He waves a pleasant wave and proceeds with his mission.

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And I decide to reduce my bickering about what a hard day I’ve had, next time I arrive home.

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Hey, look, it’s really raining outside today—did you notice?

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And do you notice how beautiful it is?

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This will be a good day to come alive

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© Jim Reed 2026 A.D.