I took a walk, and on that walk, I saw a newborn baby. Little socks shielded his feet from the cold while his fingers grasped the warmth of his mother’s sweater as he drank the sweet milk of life from her breast. He didn’t even notice me as I passed by.

So I kept walking.

Next, I happened upon a toddler. Unbalanced, he swayed from left to right, like a buoy tossed in the ocean, as he reached for the closest object to keep him from falling. The stains of the earth clung tightly to his shoes while his laces dragged across the ground. In his toddleness, he didn’t even notice me as I walked by.

So I kept walking.

Then I saw a young boy filled with endless energy. He climbed, jumped, laughed, and played as he galloped from one spot to another. As soon as one foot hit the ground, the other was in the air. His jeans bore the marks of fresh-cut grass, and his smile that never came off of his face while he played could warm up a house on a cold winter night. He didn’t even notice me as I walked by.

So I kept walking.

Then there was the teenager, awkward and clumsy because his body was changing. He longed to be accepted and would do just about anything to fit in. He hid behind a smile as smoke filled his lungs with regret, and the bitter taste of alcohol coated his tongue. Peer pressure forced him to do things that he would later be ashamed of. But he would rather feel shame than be left out. He didn’t even notice me as I walked by.

So I kept walking.

Then I saw a man: a husband, a father, and a provider. Hours of overtime filled the bags around his eyes. With his sleeves rolled up, his tie was over his shoulder, and his shirt was un-tucked, he wanted to smile, but he couldn’t. He tried to laugh, but he wouldn’t. He wanted to quit his job, but his situation screamed, you shouldn’t. So he just sat and watched the bills pile up. He didn’t even notice me as I walked by.

So I kept walking.

Then I saw an older man, his hair as white as snow. He dressed in his Sunday’s best with his hair combed, and his shoes shined. He did not run, laugh, or play. He was no longer under the weight of peer pressure. And no matter how high the bills piled up, it was of no concern to him. His eyes were closed, so he did not notice me walking by.

So I kept walking.