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Stories from Around the World
“Poor Man Trying to Make a Living”
There are two men visiting. One guy is smoking his pipe. The other man is polishing shoes. It looks like they are on the street and there is lots of traffic. They are in a building. I think the man is tying his shoe. I think this is happening 25 years ago. It wouldn’t happen like that today! He’s paying to make it happen.
There are a lot of people in the background. The picture has to be pretty old because of the way the sidewalk looks. That guy is definitely a smoker! I can smell the pipe smoke. The people in the background are far away. I can hear their heels clicking on the sidewalk.
After this the men are going home. One man is going home with a lot of money. The man with the pipe is married and he has lots of kids. The guy with the pipe is thinking, wondering if the other guy is doing the right thing. The guy with the pipe is rich because the other guy is waiting on him. I think they are on a carpet. Others don’t think it’s a carpet.
The shoeshine guy makes a lot of money and he puts it in the bank. The guy with the pipe is rich and his name could be Rich, Bob or George. The man shining shoes may be Jackie or Pete or Archie! The man with the pipe does not have to work because he is rich. The man shining shoes is glad he has a job! Both of the men will be going home soon.
Some people thought we should call our story “Boredom” while others thought our story should be called “Rich Man Sitting Down” or “Poor Man Trying to Make Money.” This story shows that life goes on. The man shining shoes may be homeless and his clothes are in the bags. Most places don’t allow smoking. The people are going to the store.
(This story was written by residents of St. Joseph Villa, a skilled nursing facility in Omaha, Nebraska)
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