Matt Is One of the Best People I Know

He works in downtown Boston on a fairly popular street in the financial district for a mortgage company. That’s all wonderful but it isn’t what makes him great. Over the weekend he told us about a guy who is homeless that lives in the alley behind his building. Every day Matt shares one cigarette with the man and they chat about work, life and how he ended up in the situation he is in.

A former contractor, Karl has been living on the streets for a while now. After very tough times in the market forced him out of his union job, he was unable to maintain paying his bills and sadly ended up where he is.

According to Matt though this has not done anything to damage the guy’s disposition! He is always ready to share a laugh, a smile and directions with lost tourists.

Now Matt, is the kind of guy who just loves the world, will talk to anyone and it is like his mission in life to bring a smile to everyone else’s face! He and Karl struck up conversations months ago but I just found out about him this past weekend when Matt started pulling a whole bunch of clothes together.

I asked if he was getting rid of stuff for Goodwill and he said no, that he was putting a bag of stuff together because Karl had indicated that if Matt was ever planning to get rid of stuff he would be more than willing to take it off his hands, seeing as though they are about the same size.

Tears almost sprung to my eyes. How sweet is that! I have a sneaking suspicion he will do the same come the fall and donate a bunch of warmer clothes to him.

We were talking this morning about the spelling of Karl’s name (which sadly he’s not sure is a C or a K so I’m taking liberties here admittedly) and if Matt happened to know how long he had been homeless when something he said struck a chord.

“Its kind of sad that people like him are just ignored and feared.”

My response was to say that people are just people and that everyone has something in their life, whether they put it right out there or not is inconsequential, we all have issues it is just that some of us are better able to hide them from the rest of the world.

Then Matt said something that really hit home. He indicated that most people are just one bad month away from being in the exact same place as Karl. Sadly, it could not be truer. As a guy who works directly with the financial information of hundreds of people on a weekly basis, no one knows better than Matt how serious that statement really is.

Because we happen to be so fortunate in our lives that we have clothes that fit us, a roof to sleep under and shower to get clean in, it is important that we do whatever we can to help those who are not as well off. Matt started his mission with nothing more than a full bag of clean clothes he was tired of wearing and it has already made a difference in Karl’s life. He wants to do more good deeds and random acts of kindness now!

How can we join him?

Happiest Places in America

Coastal locations in the United States have been hit hard by the current state of the economy so where should one be living to be the most financially secure, happy? Well, a good place to start is Nebraska.

Unfortunately I could not locate a place where this video was available to embed so please check it out on:

ABC News -- Happiest Place in America

Unemployment Olympics in NYC Tomorrow

Ever wanted to “Pin the Blame on Your Boss”? How about “Toss the Fax Machine” when it was giving you grief? Well if you are unemployed, can prove it and collect benefits from the state of New York, head on down to Tompkins Square Park tomorrow to compete in the first annual Unemployment Olympics!

In addition to the games above, contestants will also take part in smashing of piñatas and the “You’re Fired” race. The event will be held on the corner of East 10th and A beginning at 1:30 in the afternoon. Local businesses have donated fabulous prizes to the cause which is being held by Nick Goddard, an out of work computer programmer.

Sounds like a great way to not only get off the couch and get some fresh air but also network with people and enjoy some laughs, which could be seriously lacking in a time like this. Never hurts to have a little fun and make the best of any situation!

I would like to point out that I do believe this is legitimate as I heard an advertisement for it on the radio this morning. If the fun flyer below does not give enough information, more details of the event can be found here.