Chance encounter is life-changing for Albany student

ALBANY — St. Teresa’s School Junior Morgan Wright is, admittedly, something of a computer nerd.

He did little to impress his fellow geek squad members, though, when his essay — writing? ugh! — was deemed one of the top 24 among tens of thousands of Laws of Life Essay submittals judged by Rotary Clubs across the state. And while Morgan’s essay did not finish “in the money” among the state’s Top 7 essays, it did cause a stir at the tiny Albany Catholic school where the essay was an actual class assignment.

“Our teacher, Mr. (Tye) Beck gave us the essay as a class assignment, and my initial reaction was, ‘I’m doing this for a classroom grade,’” the St. Teresa’s junior said. “But once I got started, it struck my interest, and I decided to take it seriously.”

The results? Morgan’s essay titled “Critical Encounters” was named his school’s best and went on to place in the final group of statewide essays that was considered for recognition and cash prizes.

“The Laws of Life Essays are sponsored by Rotary Clubs across the state, and they focus on good morals, community service, citizenship,” Beck, an English teacher at the Catholic school said. “I gave it as an assignment to all of my students, and since we have such a small number who participated, all of ours went to the state for consideration.

“They narrow all the essays down to a final 24, and Morgan’s was in that group. He didn’t make it in the Top 7, which received prize money, but to make it into that final group is pretty special. I think he surprised himself; he was kind of shocked when he found out where he’d placed. I’m not really surprised, though. He’s a bright student.”

Morgan’s essay, which recounts his random encounter with a homeless man, touched members of the Albany Rotary Club when Morgan read it during a recent meeting.

“We were really moved by his essay,” Tommy Sharpe said. “We thought it would be a good idea to share it with the community.”

And about those computer nerd bona fides? Morgan admits that he actually is a Tolkein nerd as well and enjoys writing. He said he’s contemplating a career in electrical engineering and is considering among his college choices Vanderbilt (both of his parents’ alma mater), Georgia Tech and Mercer University.

“This encounter (in the essay) was a brief one, but after a time of reflection, I realized it might have changed this person’s life,” he said.

Morgan’s essay, reprinted with permission, follows:

Critical Encounters

I would like to think that all of us want to change the world somehow. I do, anyway. One can change the world in many different ways — curing cancer, creating world peace, even simply saving a life. Changing the world, like everything else, is done one step at a time. My first step involved a Family Dollar, some snacks, and a question.

That night, I planned to go with my friends to watch “Black Widow,” but we stopped at Family Dollar to grab some snacks before heading to the theater. (Sorry, AMC). I was in the back of the group as we walked in, but I heard someone ask a question before I entered the sliding doors: “God bless you sir, could you spare me some change?”

It took me a second to find the source of the question and realize that it was directed at me. Once I did, however, I approached the man and apologized, explaining to him that I did not have any change with me. I reflected on his appearance. He seemed to be a young adult, maybe in his late 20s. He was skinny, and his legs were ashen. I could tell he was no pretender — this man was reduced to begging by an unforgiving society that now almost completely ignored him.

The man was very understanding, and he seemed grateful that I had paid him any attention at all. As I walked into the store, I could not remove the image of him from my mind. I rejoined my friends inside the store, but I made up my mind to pay with cash and give the change to him. When I stepped out of Family Dollar, I made a beeline for the man and handed him the extra change from my purchase. I will never forget what happened next. His reaction was a mixture of stunned and grateful, and he asked me to pray for him after thanking me. I said, “Sure, what is your name?”

He hesitated and looked confused. I’ll never know what he was thinking, but I wonder if he was surprised that I actually seemed to care. He finally managed to stutter out that his name was Antonio, but I could call him Tony.

“OK, Antonio, my name is Morgan. I’ll pray for you if you pray for me. Sound good?”

He said that it did.

I began to walk to my car after saying goodbye, but he asked me to pray for him several more times. I responded by saying that I definitely would. As I drove away, I waved at him, and he waved back.

I could not stop thinking about this encounter for the rest of the night. My mind drifted throughout the movie, and I realized how blessed I was to have a roof over my head, my life in front of me, parents who love me, and extra money to spend on snacks and movie tickets. While I had spoken with homeless and underprivileged people before, I was always with my parents, so I was usually an observer. However, this time, I was the one asked to help someone in need.

I prayed for Antonio that night and every night since then; I can only hope he has done the same for me. Whenever I pass that Family Dollar, I look at the corner where I met him, hoping to see him so I can stop to talk.

“How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time.” My quote, from Morgan Freeman, reflects what occurred that evening. I hope that my encounter with Antonio will be the first of many throughout my life, and I also pray that, through them, I can change the world with words of kindness and love, not hatred, violence and distrust. I may never cure cancer or save the environment, but if I can bring warmth to people suffering in this cold world, my life will have been worth living.

Staff Photo: Carlton FletcherStaff Photo: Carlton Fletcher

Staff Photo: Carlton Fletcher