Pioneer Living Survival

This old barn sits by the road right in the middle of town. I have passed it a hundred times and always wondered about the sights it has seen and the stories it could tell.

  Many years ago I was on the way home from work one day and saw a feeble old man parked and standing by the road with a lost look on his face. I stopped and asked if he needed anything or if I could help. He said he was looking for something and described this old barn and was wondering where it was. He could have swore it was right where he was standing. Instead of trying to give the old timer directions, I thought it would be better to have him follow me. As we pulled up to the old barn I got out and asked him if this was the place he was looking for.The old feller just walked right up to it, looked around for a few minutes and simply said "yup, this is it".

I could have just driven by the lost old man or I could have just pointed in the direction of the barn and said "that way" or I guess I could have even just pointed out the window as I drove by it showing him where it is. For a hour that man told me stories of his childhood and that broken down old barn. He pointed up to the loft and talked about a makeshift bed back in the corner and said that was where he was born and spent many years of his life. As he talked he stared off across the surrounding houses trying to remember the open fields and a whole other lifetime, I could only imagine what his tired eyes saw. He told me he wanted to see this old thing one last time before he moved on to the promise land. I just stood there and didn't say a word, I just let him talk and tell the stories of a life he had so many years ago. I never caught his name and I don't guess he ever said it, but I feel privileged to have met him. I am sure his journey home was with the angels.