I Could Be Dead or in Arkansas

A recent story of a woman who reached into her purse to scoop some change for a homeless man, was updated this weekend on the "Today" show.  The original story tells how the woman unknowingly dropped her diamond ring into the till with the other change.  Once the gentleman of the street found the ring, he took it to a jeweler and was offered $4,000 on the spot for the ring.  He didn't accept it.  He held onto the ring to see what might happen.

Two days later when the woman had realized her mistake, she returned to the corner where she dropped the ring.  The man happily returned the ring to her.  A happy ending...or a beginning.

The update on the "Today" show let us know how the man's life has changed.  He has a job, has an apartment, has gone to hockey games with the woman's husband.  They are all friends.  His sister saw the story on TV and contacted him.  He was excited to be headed to a family reunion in August.  The woman with the diamond ring put out an internet request for donations for "Billy Ray" and at last check the fund was close to $189,000.  The "Today" show brought all of the relatives in for the reunion this past weekend.  This is all because the ring was returned.  Life has changed for all of the parties involved.

The part of the story that tickled me is this.  We all have varying thresholds of where our high points are and what defines our low point.  We learned Billy Ray's on Sunday.  He expressed how grateful he is for everything that has happened to him in the last month, marveling at the turns his life has taken all because he did the right thing.  He looked at his family, smiled really wide, and proclaimed, "I cannot believe all of this.  I mean, I could be dead or in Arkansas."  I laughed out loud.  There was no explanation of why Arkansas would be a fate worse than death, but for Billy Ray that would be his absolute low point. This is from a man who had spent years on the streets in Missouri with limited recognition by people who would pass him on the way to their lives each day.  What could be worse?  Well, Arkansas, of course.

What would it be for you?  How would you finish the phrase "I could be dead or______?"  What would it be?  Worth a thought.