A reward: Man walked to work for 10 years, never missed a day

Sometimes inspiration comes in the form of a regular person's story.

James Robertson's journey is just such a story.

The Detroit man's car broke down about a decade ago. He had a job that was about 10 miles away -- a more than 20-mile round trip.

So, he decided to walk to work and has been doing so ever since.

But that is not the best part of the story.

He was never late -- and he never missed a day of work. He had worked too hard to find the job and he just couldn't sit around "doing nothing," he said.

Think about that. They get SNOW in Detroit.

Robertson's story came to light not because he asked for help, but because he inspired other people to start a GoFundMe campaign to buy him a car. So far, $130,000 has been raised and several dealers have offered him a vehicle.

And his story could inspire many others as well.

People like Robertson, who is 56, could teach our young people a myriad of lessons -- about perseverance in the face of setbacks, the definition of a work ethic and how to live with character and honor.

His story should be watched by every young person in school -- and would make a great topic of discussion with a few adults, too.

People often lament the loss of the American spirit. They say it has been replaced by sloth, dishonor and an unwillingness to work for anything.

Robertson is a ray of hope in a world that really does seem to look for the easy way out.

And he should be an inspiration to politicians to work harder to reward people just like him and to perpetuate the values he represents.

And we should pay attention, too.

Robertson is someone to admire.

Published in Editorials on February 3, 2015 11:01 AM