Connecting for life

Thanks to Gary Schmidt for this lovely little piece.

My father is in his eighties, and every morning he insists on walking to the little grocery store at the end of the street.

I’ve told him a hundred times, “Dad, you don’t need to do that. I can order everything online. One click, and it’s at your door.”

But he always shakes his head with that same gentle stubbornness.

“I don’t go there for the bread,” he says. “I go there for life.”

At first, I thought it was just an excuse to stretch his legs. But one day, I decided to go with him.

It took us an hour to get what should have taken ten minutes. Because every few steps, someone stopped him.

The butcher came out from behind the counter to ask how his knees were doing. The shop assistant handed him apples and said, “These are the sweet ones you like.” A little boy ran up just to show him his new toy car.

And when we finally reached the register, the cashier leaned over and said softly, “It’s good to see you, Mr. Kumar. I was worried when you didn’t come yesterday.”

On the way home, I asked him, “Don’t you find it tiring?”

He smiled.

“My boy, this is what keeps me alive. These people know me. They notice if I’m here, and they notice if I’m gone. What app can do that? What doorstep delivery will miss me if I never open the door?”

That’s when it struck me: he wasn’t just buying groceries. He was buying belonging.

And I finally understood.

Convenience may save time — but connection saves lives.

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