Starting Work
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Remembrance
April 14, 2010
On a day that was filled with writing in the morning and signing off on an armload of tax forms throughout the afternoon, I took a late afternoon exercise break. During the course of that break, I listened to a radio softly playing in the background. Among the segments was one about yesterday’s renaming of the Central Park Reservoir track after Alberto Arroyo.
Known to many New Yorkers as the Mayor of Central Park, beginning in 1937, Arroyo made daily visits to the Central Park Reservoir. He claimed to be the first person to run around one of the city’s largest bodies of water. Throughout much of his life, he completed a daily run around the reservoir. When he no longer was able to run, he walked the track, then found a bench from which he would encourage others.
Arroyo died last month. Soon thereafter the city decided to name the running path in his honor. A ceremony celebrating that event took place yesterday.
As I listened to the newscast, I couldn’t help but be touched. One ceremony participant described how important Arroyo’s encouragement had been as she had attempted to get back in shape after the birth of each of her three children. Another interviewee rhetorically asked whether Arroyo ever imagined the difference he had made in so many lives.
At the end of the segment, the reporter revealed that many years ago Arroyo had taken a vow of poverty. He lived in one of NYC’s cheap transient hotels. He ate cereal for breakfast and inexpensive Chinese take-out for dinner. He decided long ago that as long as he could afford a place to sleep and could visit Central Park for a run, he would give the rest of his money to those who needed it more.
As we slowly find our way out of the Great Recession, Arroyo’s story should stand as an important reminder. I expect with the rebound in business, some will return to a never-ending chase of fame and fortune. They’ll quickly forget that during a sunny April day throngs of people gathered in Central Park to remember a pauper. In the end, good deeds can mean more than net worth.
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