Robert, the Bag Boy

To be really honest, I have had a very difficult time the last few days finding something I really wanted to blog about.  That is, until yesterday.  I was finally feeling better after a week's worth of headaches, coughing and laryngitis.  The sun was shining and it was an absolutely beautiful day.  I spent the day doing "mommy-do's".  My last "do" was a trip to the grocery store for my daughter.

I spent about an hour in the store getting all the things on the list and was finally in the check-out area.  Robert, the bag boy, passed by me going to another check-out line.  When he saw me, however, he quickly turned and told the other bag boys, "I'll get this one!"  Robert has been with this particular store for as long as I can remember.  He has always been a bag boy and seems very proud to be there.  I would say that Robert is in his late 30's or early 40's. Everyone who goes to the store knows Robert.  He is very friendly and always has a tale or two to tell on his way to the car with your groceries.  He greets everyone who enters with a, "Hello!  How are you?", and a smile that spreads from ear to ear.  I have never seen Robert unhappy.

Robert is not the smartest person in the world.  His life will probably always revolve around the job at the grocery store and his participation in the Special Olympics team he is a member of.  You see, Robert is a "Special Friend", or someone who is not as (or as the experts would say) emotionally, socially or psychologically developed as the others in this world.  Some people, and I have heard people say this, would call Robert "retarded".  I HATE this word.  I HATE it when I hear it said.  I don't like it when people even play around with it.  Robert is far from being "retarded" and he proved this to me once again yesterday.

Greenville residents recently overwhelmingly passed a law allowing the stores in our once dry city to sell alcohol.  The particular store Robert works at has taken one entire wall to stock beer and wine.  As Robert and I were leaving the store a little girl, about seven or eight years of age, ran in front of us and nearly knocked Robert down.  His comment was, "She could have at least asked us to excuse her!!"  My reply to Robert was that, unfortunately, parents today do not teach their children any manners and it seemed that very few children even know what "excuse me" means.  Our conversation led from one thing to another about our world today.  Most of what Robert said really did make sense (and I have found this to be true in other conversations I have had with him).  At some point in our conversation, Robert stopped what he was doing, looked at me in my eyes and said, "That STUFF that have put over on that wall (and he gestured toward the store in the direction of the newly stocked liquor aisle) is what is wrong with our world today!  Too many parents drink and don't pay attention to their families.  They spend their money on that STUFF and don't give their families what they need.  They don't teach their children what God wants them to teach them.  God sent His Son to die for us and we are to be example to everyone around us.  He wants us to live life like He did!!"  Robert went on to say that he had told his store managers that they were wrong putting that STUFF in the store and that they just laughed at him.

I listened with great interest and awe at what Robert was saying.  He told me that a lot of people had told him he should be a preacher!!  I told Robert that he was in a very important ministry right where he was; that he was a minister to all his customers and that he was the only preacher a lot of them ever heard.  Robert just grinned and went on his way.  I watched him as he walked back into the store and saw him laughing and greeting everyone he met in his usual way.

Why is it so hard for "normal" people to get the message Robert was relaying to me?  Why is it that "normal" people listen and reject the Message?  Why is it that "normal" people make fun of Robert?  Who is really the "normal" person?  You go, Robert!!  I love you and appreciate you more than you will ever know.  I will never, ever get exasperated when you are talking so much as you take my groceries to the car.  You will forever be one of my heroes!!