trash bag full of roses.

i'm listening to polyphonic spree.... if you ever are in need of just breathing, smiling, and pondering the good that surrounds you, i'd suggest playing this music as loud as you can, and perhaps dancing.
dancing always helps.
i think there are people, who walk this earth, and their goal is to bring smiles to the faces of anyone they can.
we live in a suburban neighborhood on the outskirts of washington d.c.
right near our house there is a town center, shops, restaurant's, a big fountain. it's a quaint place for a date, dinner, movie, and even iceskating (if you are brave).
and if you were to have gone on a date at the reston town center on any given weekend you would have surely run into "charlie"
or charlie would have run into you.
Charlie was an old black man, missing his teeth, and who had lost his dentures.
charlie rolled around on this electric wheelchair.
and on the back of his wheel chair, he had this large black trash bag.
full of roses.
yep, trash bag full of roses.
and wouldn't you know it, Charlie and i rode the bus together from time to time.
"you know i don't really need this wheel chair" Charlie would hit the wheels of his chair, and smile.
"i just use it because those crazy docs, they think i'm going to fall or something. i just amuse them, and ride it for them."
of course he did.
he amused everyone.
he saved the dates of many men... here came Charlie just as an argument would break out on a date....
"would you like to buy the beautiful lady a rose" he'd smile, and the woman would usually give this sort of look to the guy she was on the date with, as if saying:
"thank god this old man just rolled up, you better not mess this up."
the exchange would happen, and for 2 dollars Charlie healed and repaired countless relationships.

he would tell us stories of men who bought 12 or 24 roses.
"he must have been a prayin' man, because i rolled just in the knick of time, he would be in the dog house fo' sure" he would say with a grand laugh.

and he'd tell us stories of marriage proposals, and how he'd roll up, just after someone had proposed underneath the lights of the shops and restaurants.... and Charlie would complete the night with a few roses, to add to the brilliance of a new diamond ring.

you could not be around him with out smiling.

and so on friday when i got on the number 3 bus... the bus driver looked at me and told me that Charlie had passed the night before. he was 99 year old.
"he was the happiest guy i've ever known" the bus driver smiled.
"and made everyone else happy" i added.

there are just people like Charlie, that add to those nights when you need a rose, need a toothless smile, need someone to rescue you from the ordinary.

so when you think about it, go and be Charlie, make someone smile, just because you can.