The Errant Orange

I was about 10 years old. I was walking along, approaching the hill which led to the railway bridge on my way to school, just like any other morning. A man went past me on his bicycle and he too was about to negotiate the hill. I could see from the clothes he was wearing that he was on his way to put in a hard day’s work at one of the factories nearby. I smiled as I observed the little white plastic box strapped to the rack on the back of his bike, which surely held his provisions for the day’s efforts. I wouldn’t have thought anything more of it, except that just as he was about to start up the hill, he went over a bump and his lunch-box fell off the bike and broke open. His orange rolled away from him as he stopped to try to put things back together. I didn’t say anything to him (I was only 10!) but it made me think how easy it is for people’s lives to be upset, even when they are minding their own business. So try to always be nice to people, they may be having a hard day!