American Faces No. 59
When I set out to buy a new refrigerator I did not think that an American Faces story would come out of it. But one did. On October 6th, 2020 a smile that lit up the room made way for a great conversation. As Derek B. spoke about the refrigerators he had in stock, he and I also shared a bit about ourselves. Our lives have been very different from each other, but what connects us is our place in humanity, maybe better said is “our place in the human race”. Derek’s life has had its own twists, turns, and even a few hurdles when he spoke of his earlier years in South Minneapolis, to now the owner of Appliance Express in East St. Paul, MN. This man’s choices and decisions have forged a resolve that were seen and truly felt as I spoke with him.
The wisdom he has gleaned in his 53 years on this globe and in the School of Hard Knocks has taught him to work hard, don’t dwell on the past, and create his own future. He’s had people who have poured into him over the years who have helped mold who he is today and not the man of the past that he once was.
When we wrapped up our time together to create this American Faces, he left me with an awesome nugget of wisdom, "If you change the way you look at things then the things you look at change."