Lemons and Lemonade - Stephanie Kennar

 - Diligent, polite and hardworking
 - Works for little or no money
 - Needs no supervision, no appraisal or feedback
 - Handles the messy jobs

 

You don't come across people with work ethic like his often, and yet he is not a part of the community.
He is a homeless person, about 35 years old. He's not a drunk or a drug addict, but has somehow fallen out of the system. Maybe he has had a bad experience or breakdown or chosen to step off the treadmill? Now with a lack of confidence, support and resources, he finds it hard to get back into a way of life that the rest of us may complain about or take for granted.

He gets what he is given: a coin, a bread roll, a can of lemonade. When he asks for something to eat, he tells me he works hard for the community. I see him pick up paper, cans, and cigarette butts and put them in the bins. He scrapes chewing gum off the sidewalk. He chats to passers by. You see him share his food with the less fortunate old guys on the street. You could say he adds value. He's busy and works most days. You can see him work a 7 km radius in the city and the surrounding areas.

He is quite an inspiration. He goes about his day without procrastinating. He is self managed. He doesn't need constant praise and recognition. He is proud of the work he does and mostly upbeat.

You would have been aware of the Commonwealth games in Melbourne recently. It was the biggest event for Australia since the Olympic Games in 2000. The city was buzzing. The TV, newspapers and radio stations were reporting around the clock. I ran into him a few days after the games had started. I bought him a savory roll and can of lemonade and we had a chat. I asked if he had traveled in to the city. "No, why," he replied. "Is Moomba on?" - Moomba is a local Melbourne festival.

How could anybody not know the Commonwealth games were on?

Of course, he has no TV, no radio, hadn't read the paper. In his circle of friends, no one was going to the opening ceremony, the sports activities or concerts.