Choices

Mike wearily pulled himself together and gingerly climbed from the bed
Another day of chemo, another day of nausea
Another day of insurance companies
Another day of financial slight of hand
Paying some bills, begging for extensions on others
Every moment a fight for peace, a fight for life
Walking the hospital corridors
Patients and doctors alike call out to him
“Hey Mike!”
“How’s it going Mike?”
“Looking good Mike!”
Mike greets each one by name
Shaking hands and pats on backs
In his wake he leaves behind a trail of smiles
After chemo he visits the children’s ward
He reads them stories
He makes them laugh
He dries their tears and he soothes their fears
When he grows tired he leaves them with a joke and a smile

Mikes life is not easy
He is losing his hair
He is in quite a bit of pain
He can barely eat
Some days he can barely walk
Mike, however never leaves his smile at home
He faces his daily struggle
With a shrug of a shoulder
Embracing the joy of being alive

Tim overslept for the third time in four days climbing from bed already late for work
Another week of nine to five
Another week of paperwork and ringing phones
Another week of muddling along
Until Friday comes and sets him free
Every weekend another party another girl
Trudging to his hated cubical
Coworkers seem to avoid him
There are no “Hey Tim’s!”
“How’s it going Tim?”
“Looking good Tim!”
Tim rarely looks them in the eye
Never shakes a hand or pats a back
In his wake there is not a sign of his passing
In the cafeteria he sits alone, never offering a chair
He never joins a conversation
He never laughs at a coworkers joke
He quietly eats and goes outside for a smoke
When the day ends he shuffles home
Having never left his mark on the day

Tim could have a happy life
He has a good job
He has his health
He can dine at four-star restaurants
The weekend comes
And he drowns his sorrow in a bottle of Kentucky bourbon
Tim however never leaves his home with a smile
He lives his life with a permanent frown
With a shrug of his shoulder
Embracing his self-inflicted misery

Two men living life
On the edge of the very same town
No one would blame Mike
If he shuffled through life with tear filled eyes
Pounding the pavement and blaming God
For the unfortunate hand he was dealt
No one can understand Tim
Shuffling through life with a permanent frown
Pounding the pavement and blaming God
For the self-pity he is constantly wallowing in

Two men different lives
Sharing but one common thread
The same thread shared by all of humanity
Choices
Each of them and each of us
Faces life with the very same choice
We can choose to smile and embrace life
Despite whatever burdens we maybe bearing
Or we can choose to frown and complain
Neglecting to embrace the gift of life
We all have problems
We all have worries
We all have aches and pains
We can choose to be like Mike
Look beyond our own ego and embrace the world
Or we can choose to be like Tim
Trapped in self-pity and ignoring the world
The choice is ours

Choices was inspired by Random Thoughts Thursday posted on December 9, 2004 at

TLJ's Thoughts of the Day
Thanks for the inspiration Tara.