Despite battling through gridlock traffic in one of the busiest cities in the world, Pat Lawson has shown us to never let challenges stop us from smiling.
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| SNWS |
Pat, 50 years old, knows what hardship feels like. He once used to be homeless and spent years trapped in a dark cycle of bad choices. But after landing on his feet after years of homelessness, he finally learned the importance of gratitude and smiling.
In his teenage years, Pat fell into the wrong crown and ended up in prison. It was a dark and vicious cycle of crime, drugs, and homelessness. He would also spend multiple nights searching London's streets, looking for somewhere to sleep.
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One night, a provoked attack left him fighting for his life in hospital. “I thought I was going to die,” he said. “I started thinking about my children. I knew it was life or death. I kept wondering, "How did I end up here?" That was Pat’s turning point.
“I wanted to climb out of the gutter,” he said. And that’s exactly what he did.
He crossed paths with volunteers from the Single Homeless Project, who helped him rebuild his life. With their support, Pat got a job as a bus driver, and instantly fell in love with it.
Since then, Pat has transformed his life completely. Every day, he greets his passengers with a warm, genuine smile. In just 16 months on the job, he received over 100 public recommendations and was named Transport for London’s (TfL) Hello London Award winner for Outstanding Customer Service and Top London Bus Driver in 2017.
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“I’ve been at rock bottom,” Pat says, “but the support from the charities and HCT’s social enterprise really helped me. They gave me a reason to keep smiling.”
This story reminded me of a kind man who teaches homeless woman how to read. She wasn't asking for money. All she would so is greet 'Good morning' to this young man heading to work. Subscribe here and never miss another positive story!
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