A Convenient Storeman

He always pretends himself as an innocent convenient store man.

When I first met this man, I was in my first year of college, an innocent girl thought she could do anything in the world. She was from an immigrant family which didn’t have a lot of expectation and pressure on her. She became very willful in doing whatever she wanted, so she decided to pursue something extremely challenging – science, as her career goal in college. Despite her family’s objection, she managed to enroll herself in school’s early enrolment as a top student for the college and obtain 95% in her grade 12 academic classes for school’s admission. She was so proud of herself and thought she could get the entire world. So she went to this college which was so far away from her hometown and she decided to escape from her family. She had no idea if she could have a good life, if she could take good care of herself in this strange city with strange people. She thought this world was simple and as pure as it seems. However, the reality kicked in and gave her a hard lesson. In the first year of school, everything run very smoothly. She was still getting aces in class and those calculus classes didn’t seem very scary as it sounded. She had a lot of good time with her friends and gradually developed a habit drinking like her new friends. She was so obsessed with this irresponsible freedom and craziness, but she didn’t realize the consequence of them. She became neglecting her homework and academic processes, went out with friends everyday and played with games everyday. Since her family was so far away and they didn’t know what she was doing in that foreign city, she felt as free as a bird. She was using the fundings from the government and she thought she could get them for the rest of her school life. She didn’t worry too much about her savage lifestyle. Then she moved on to her second year, she realized that the province loan for students need the student to keep certain grade point average to continue. She became panic about her status now. She must stop being procrastinating on her work must start working part-time like her classmates are doing.

However, she had never gotten a real job and she had no connection with anyone. How could she find a job to support herself? She felt very lost, and she saw the sky was black and she didn’t have any appetite for anything. She became depressed. At this moment, she met her Angel, a beautiful Angel who always looked like a convenient store man, showed up and asked her while she was in the supermarket and wandering around. “Are you okay sweetheart? You looked worried and sad,” he asked her. She suddenly wanted to cry in his cuddle and told him everything about school. “Oh, that’s fine my darling,” he smiled and said, “When I was your age, I didn’t know what to do as well, but look at me now, after so many years of training, I made all the way to the top, and then now I become an old man in the end,” he continued, “never give up to be great, eventually we all get old, but you have to make use of your life efficiently and effectively, don’t waste your potential as it is gifted by God.” She suddenly realized; this is an Angel God sent to her while she was in the bottom of her deepest valley.

They kept in contact for the rest of the years. She soon learned that, this is not an ordinary Man from a random place but someone really big in the National level. He was a farmer from Saskatchewan and after high school he joined the Army while taking classes in University. He graduated from his training classes at the top 5 and he is always proud that he was one of the thirty people over of 120 people didn’t quit the training and stayed till the end. He then continued his soldier career in the infantry and joined the United Nations as peacekeeper guarding around the world. He is such an incredible Man proving that nothing is impossible. He made all the way from a cute cadet boy to a Senior Army Officer. He had been in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Israel, Egypt and many other places throughout his career. He loved his job while driving airplanes and tanks to go to work, he enjoyed saving thousands of lives while rescuing them from terrorists and bombs, he enjoyed the sacrifice he made so that Nation can be as peaceful and serene, free and liberated as it is right now. He was so proud of himself, his integrity, and his powerful perseverance and strength. He then came back from the middle east when he retired from the Army. He chose to live in one of the military bases which he felt comfortable with. He was appointed to be the Military Judge in the city and started his own computer store in downtown. Meanwhile, he was a part-time professor teaching computer science and building computers at a local community college. He was always keeping himself busy. “I have to do something everyday, or it will drive me nut,” he always says. How adorable is this Man.

Nevertheless, this Man always took time to volunteer for the local Humane Society to rescue cats and dogs. His favourite dog is a white dog which was abused by his owner brutally and left on the street. He has always loved dogs because he likes their loyalty and honesty. He also managed to build a boat for himself which he always brought it to the lake and enjoy surfing on the waves. “I was trying to build an airplane, but it is too expensive,” he said.

Thinking back, she looked at him carefully, this Man with the simplest smile on his face and friendly manners like a convenient store man, there is no way that he is a tough soldier man who fought against terrorists in many battlefields.

“What a strange world,” she thinks, “What a wonderful Angel he is.”