News today seems to always be filled with disaster, crime and other horrors — so much so that I sometimes feel I don’t want to see or read anything anymore.
Naturally, it’s important to highlight the problems we have in society. But sometimes I wonder why it’s those who do the most harm that get the most attention, while those who actually deserve to be celebrated end up in the dark.
Like Walter Carr, for example, a student from Alabama, USA. As you’ll see below, he is truly an inspiration for us all.
These are the kinds of stories I actually want to read. I think that if we report such stories more, people may eventually see that these are the heroes we need to have as role models.
It all began when Walter’s car broke down. He had just gotten a new job at the moving company Bellhops, but the day before he was scheduled to start, his car broke down.
Most people who live far away from work might see this as an impossible challenge that would prevent them from going to work, but not Walter.
In order not to lose his job, the humble worker decided to walk over 18 miles to his new workplace, leaving home at midnight and walking all night to get there on time!
When the police saw Walter walking alone along the dark road in the middle of the night, they stopped and questioned him. They were so impressed by his response that they drove him into town and invited him for a breakfast.
That day, Walter was scheduled to help a woman named Jenny Lamey and her family with their move.
A ride from the cops
Thanks to the police officers’ lift, Walter ended up at the Lamey family’s home much earlier than scheduled. Upon arrival, the policemen explained to the Lamey family why Walter was so early.
Jenny was so impressed that she asked if Walter wanted to come in and rest a bit before starting the job. But Walter declined and asked if he could get started right away.
Jenny could not get Walter’s dedication out of her mind and decided to share the story on her Facebook page.
Her story quickly spread, eventually reaching Luke Marklin, Bellhops’ CEO.
Luke was so moved when he heard about Walter’s extreme discipline that he decided to give him a gift… the keys to his very own car.
“This is an incredible story,” Luke wrote on Twitter. “The grit and heart Walter showed defines Bellhops’ culture precisely. I’m really proud to be on the same team as Walter…”
When Walter received the keys to his new car, he could hardly speak and fought to hold back his tears.
This is an incredible story. The grit and heart Walter showed defines Bellhops' culture precisely. I'm really proud to be on the same team as Walter… we set a high bar on service and he just raised it. Look forward to thanking him in person this week. https://t.co/Fr4ytu5CM1
— Luke Marklin (@LukeMarklin) July 15, 2018
First job in a long time
Walter later explained that Bellhops was his first employer in a long time and he wanted to make sure he showed his dedication. “I’m gonna get to this job, one way or another, nobody else could take me,” he told himself.
He also thanked his parents for making him the person he is. The family had not had it easy, among other things, losing everything after hurricane Katrina and being forced to move to Alabama.
“I want people to know, it doesn’t matter what the challenge is, you can handle it,” Walter said. “Nothing is impossible if you do not make it impossible. You can do anything. Only you decide to do it,” he said, fighting back tears.
Share this story to pay tribute to Walter and his amazing discipline and dedication. More people should be like Walter and see the opportunities life offers rather than the challenges.
Life will always send us challenges — we just need to learn to overcome them with strength and grace, just as Walter did.
