Renewal

John was a 33 year old unemployed window washer who began hanging around outside the shop. Although he was fairly unobtrusive, and Todd empathized with his unfortunate situation, John's repeated requests for money became a financial burden for Todd. In addition, Todd was concerned that John's loitering in front of the store would dissuade people from coming in. Consequently, Todd decided that the next time John came to see him, he would tell him that his presence was making him uncomfortable.

Todd was in the process of refinishing a 19th century armoire he had purchased at a local auction. As he prepared the dilapidated piece for refinishing, Todd noticed that stuck behind the third drawer of the armoire was a crumpled yellow card, which contained a message that was barely discernible. He managed to read most of message and felt as though a higher power had intervened on John's behalf; as if God knew that he was about to cast John off into the uncertainty of an indifferent universe.

When John arrived later that afternoon, Todd could not bring himself to turn him away. In fact, Todd was so inspired by his discovery earlier that day that he offered John a job as a deliveryman for the store. It was the best decision he could have made. John stayed with Todd for five years, making deliveries during the day while attending classes at the university at night. John is currently employed as a social worker in a small suburb just outside D.C. On his desk is a picture of Todd and the store, a tribute of sorts, to the man who changed the course of his life. And, just to the right of the picture, under a tiny metal sign that reads "Please Take One," lies a stack of little yellow cards