Kevin was used to seeing Oscar all over town, sitting outside a movie theater or at the corner booth at Tony’s Ice Cream. His most popular hangout was Doug’s Bicycle Shop, where Kevin had first met him. The owner of the shop would let Oscar come in to hang around and tell a few jokes to the customers. The jokes weren’t always funny but people liked Oscar telling them.

In the last few months, Oscar had started selling a street paper he helped get started in Greenville called StreetSounds. Published monthly, every copy sold helped provide income for the homeless or formerly homeless as well as informing the public about their needs.

Kevin thought of the contrast between his life and Oscar’s. Kevin had a family, a home, an office, and a job. All the things that a man seemed to need. But Oscar seemed not to be bothered by the fact that he didn’t have those things.

Maybe because Oscar has friends and a community and an unwavering attitude of optimism.

He didn’t know if Oscar was a man of faith, but he wouldn’t doubt it.

What I wouldn’t give to have the attitude of Oscar. Someone still motivated enough to help get a thing like StreetSounds started in a city like Greenville.

Sometimes something as simple as a paper costing a buck could be the spark of something else. Something bigger and more profound.

A simple and sweet thing called hope.

Maybe Kevin would go out and pick Oscar’s brain. Perhaps Oscar would have a slogan that wouldn’t be corny like the motivational posters or cynical like the ones from the comedy Web site. Some word of wisdom he lived by.

Maybe he and Oscar could go into business and sell Oscarisms. For a buck and a quarter, cheaper than getting your tire patched up at Doug’s Bicycle Shop.

Kevin decided to get up and get out of his office. He wasn’t accomplishing much except worrying and wondering. He had gotten nowhere trying to drum up new business. Everybody started shutting down when December 1 hit the calendar books.

There had to be something else he could do.

Then he thought of the gifts he still needed to get for the boy named Thomas.

That would be a perfect use of time.

Kevin was still thinking about Oscar when he picked out the Nike basketball shoes. He wanted to go all out, not to just go halfway with this gift.

Yeah, I’m losing my company soon, but I haven’t lost it yet, and I still have credit, so lay off, conscience.

He had never worn Nike Air Jordans, so he wondered if they were really truly that great of a basketball shoe. But since the kid was asking for a Bulls jersey, how could he go with something else? He wasn’t going to get anything with the name Kobe or LeBron on it. No way.

As he started to head toward the register carrying the first pair of shoes he’d bought in a year, ones that he wasn’t even going to wear, Kevin heard his name called out. He turned and saw Bruce Helton walking toward him.