When I received the elf give-away money I only knew that I wanted to divide into equal portions and hand it out to random people.  I had no idea who.  Then I had a bright idea!

Every day on my way to work in the morning, there is a guy.  He sells newspapers.  Now what is so special about a guy that sells newspapers you may ask yourself.  Well let me tell you.

This guy stands at this intersection every single morning come rain or shine.  And he doesn’t just stand there with his bundle of newspapers.  No no, this guy radiates.   He absolutely shines happiness and joy.  In the past year that I have driven past there, he started recognizing me as a “regular” and every single morning without fail, we greet each other, with a beaming smile, a wave of the hand and the customary South African hand gesture making a fist and extending the thumb upwards meaning “sharp” everything is going well.

Every morning I see him walking up and down the row of cars waiting to cross at the intersection greeting all the “regulars” in the same way, putting a smile on everyone’s face with his friendly greeting.  This man who’s name I don’t even know has put a smile on my face without fail every single day I’ve driven past there no matter what my mood, and I’ve seen him do the same for everyone else he greets.

He doesn’t just sell newspapers, he spreads joy.

So I have decided to gift him with the first portion of my gift money.  I put the money with a note in an envelope thanking him for making me and everyone else smile every day and told him that I think he is incredibly special.  I highly doubt he will have internet access, and I hope that my small token of appreciation makes him feel as good as his friendly greeting makes me and everyone else he comes in contact with on Emmerentia Road every morning.