Whisper of despair - A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Leonardo was sixty years old and had worked in the same factory all his life. He knew every corner of the place and the noises of the machines were his soundtrack. On Fridays, at the end of the day and with his wages in his pocket, he had the luxury of a beer in the bar on the corner. It was his only luxury, a space for silence and reflection.

One Friday, when he checked his salary envelope, he noticed that it had decreased. The factory had gone into crisis and his pay had been cut. An immense sadness came over him, but he hoped that when he got to the bar, his sacred place, everything would work out again. When he arrived, he noticed that the beer had also gone up in price. His salary was no longer enough for that little weekly conspirator of happiness. A lump formed in his throat when he saw the other customers cheerfully ordering drinks, not noticing his regret. The waiter, who had known him for years, seconded his lament with a look of sympathy, he could not hold his gaze.

With trembling hands, Juan reached into his pocket and counted the few coins he had. He knew it wasn't enough. Feeling that he was losing not only money, but something more, he stood up and turned around. A gust of night wind blew in his face as he left the establishment, bringing with it a whisper of despair.

He went to the park and sat down on a bench, where he watched the children playing. Suddenly, one of the little ones ran up to him and gave him a coin, which was supposedly worth more than the one he had. Leonardo smiled sadly. Any extra amount in life is a matter of luck, beyond our control. That night he didn't take home a beer, but an unexpected lesson. Sometimes the value of things is not their price, but their meaning.