One of the rituals that has filled my space of time left by retirement has been my involvement in the Wellness program offered by University rehab. I believe I have blogged about University rehab before and the Wellness program. Recently outpatient rehab separated from inpatient rehab at the University of Utah Hospital. University outpatient rehab is now in Sugarhouse Utah, a small community and the larger area of Salt Lake City. Sugarhouse is a cutesy area of the city which is fast becoming the new yuppie center with art houses, coffee shops and trendy apartment complexes. Sugarhouse offers great restaurants and other fine amenities to the Salt Lake area. I usually access this area at 1100 E. and 2100 S. I'm fortunate that my bus drops me off at this point and then it's just two blocks to outpatient rehab in my workout area. I've noticed that last couple of weeks since the nice weather has started back there has been a looks like a street person selling walking canes that he makes right at my bus stop.

This little guy is there every afternoon I get off the bus, runs over this stick carving away. Truly, he looks like a homeless guy trying to make a buck. I quickly categorized this fellow as a huckster, flimflam guy trying to shakedown the public. He's always there, is by close by with his inventory of sticks. I always flew past this guy as quickly as I could, making no eye contact and try not to make any other kind of contact. Friday was challenging, without going into a host of boring reasons now is just say I felt I needed to speak with someone who maybe have been having the worst day than me. I had a great deal more time than I usually have to get to my appointment when I got off the bus Friday and I really had no other place to be at that exact moment or maybe I was at the exact place to be at that moment. I roll over and just watched this fellow worker his sticks for a moment. Was definitely a carver with great skill. Use only a humble pocketknife but very sharp. The strokes are short clean and exact you knew what he was doing. He scanned the bark from the sticks Swift and clean he made it look easy like one of those guys at state fair sales kitchen equipment for fixing vegetables making it look easy but it never is once you get the product home. I work with enough would you know how hard it is for me to carve and to see him handle the knife like you did was a joy to behold. I risked and said something and he looked up his face broke into a smile that put me to rest. I don't know his name, yet but for the purpose of rest this blog I will call him John Carver.

I looked into John Carver's eyes clear, focused and sparkling. John's face is a sunburned, bearded craggy portrait of solitude focused on his work and at turning stick into a walking cane. His is clothes are not raggidy, is not a hobo, he wears a bandanna aroundhair that is not gray and most likely was once golden. Carver looks like an aging country singer truly this. Carver's quick to speak, is eyes dance to a quick smile when asked a question. Carver told me he makes these canes for anyone who wants. Carver does not put a price on his work just asking folks donate what they feel the cane is worth. Carver told me, in not so many words, that he has been homeless but is not now. Carver does not strike me a raving Christian but he definitely attributes what security in life he has to his God. Carver stated he does not worry about food nor place to live saying those things be taken care of Carver just has to take care of his fellow man. Carver told me he has to range for his sticks harvesting them where ever he can find them, backyards, riverbanks, parks and alleyways, anywhere wild things grow. He has a bike and pedals far for his product. He told me heartbreaking stories of how his bike had been stolen with his sticks and tools, we dashed into a local restaurant to use the restroom. Carver smiled when he told me almost immediately someone had replaced his bike and now he used his knife to whittle his sticks.

John told me to get handouts, that he was a veteran that he had no ID so you can collect any veterans benefits. I tried to tell him there was ways around this but gave me a look that said there's more to that story a lot more so I stopped. This guy is probably been around the block more times than me. There's more I could write about this meeting and I just might at some other time but suffice it to say I will speak with him again and maybe drop a dollar or two into his hat not because I feel sorry for him but because I admire you doing, is surviving by his wits and his skills and his ability to entertain me.