We can make all sorts of unlikely relationships with one another as we go about our daily lives.
Perhaps your postman got chatting to you one time, and you ended up bonding over your shared love of the Star Wars movies or your mutual appreciation for your state’s football team.
Or maybe your window cleaner is just so nice and friendly that you end up spending hours chatting to him over a cup of tea – not that he seems to mind.
That short opportunity for conversation with a home visitor is even more important to the elderly.
Retired men and women typically have a harder time staying social. Their partners may have passed on, and they might not have family living close by. This can create a very lonely environment to live in.
A recent report found that nearly one-fourth of adults aged 65 and older are thought to be socially isolated – meaning they don’t have that daily human interaction that humans, as social beings, need.
Thankfully, there are men like Ben Bird in the world, whose small actions help to rectify that problem.
Ben is a garbageman in the UK, and in the 8 years he’s been collecting Mercy Ballard’s trash, he’s struck up a close bond with the elderly lady.
Speaking to ITV about the unlikely friendship, Ben, who is more than half of Mercy’s age, said:
“I talk to her every Thursday from 8am to 8.10am and every time I walk up her garden path she will be there waiting for me. “I never have a cup of tea or anything like that, I wouldn’t let her go to that trouble. I just then run after the other two lads to catch them up. “I’ve been a binman for about 11 years and love listening to her stories about her life – having been born in 1919 she can hardly believe what technology can do now and she can’t get her head round my phone.”
Mercy has lived in the same house in Birmingham, West Midlands, for 74 years – and she will have definitely seen a thing or two change in that time!
She hit a special milestone in 2019 when she celebrated her 100th birthday.
In the UK, turning 100 grants you the honor of receiving a letter of celebration from the queen.
But Mercy had another celebration to look forward to – and this one was much closer to home.
Ben promised the former carpet factory worker that he’d bring her a cake if she lived to be 100.
When Mercy’s big day arrived, Ben stuck to his word – and showed up at her house with a bright pink birthday cake, complete with “100” candles.
The moment was recorded and shared on social media, where it quickly gained traction, with more than 2 million watches within weeks.
Garbagemen don’t have the best reputation, and Ben wanted to prove that it’s not always right to stereotype.
He said he usually stops to chat to Mercy while his fellow garbagemen continue on down the street, then rushes to catch them up when it’s time to move on.
Though their conversation might only be short, the few minutes Ben spends with her probably makes Mercy’s day.
His story is a reminder to us all to help out in the local community wherever we can.
You can watch the video of Ben giving Mercy her cake, and a video interview of the friends together, just below.
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