海角大神

Steven Patterson could be quite grumpy.聽

As a highway flagman, he stands all day in the North Carolina summer heat and shirt-soaking humidity. It鈥檚 not the most interesting job or the best paying.聽

But for the past few months, as part of the rehabbing of the Dallas-Cherryville Highway, Mr. Patterson has done his job with joy. Not with a simple smile, but with genuine delight. He energetically waves, shouts, and urges drivers to toot their horns.聽

鈥淲e鈥檙e all different, but we all go through the same things,鈥� Mr. Patterson told the Gaston Gazette. 鈥溾��

Gaston County commuters have noticed. 鈥淚 love waiting in that construction now because I know I will see him!鈥� one motorist posted on Facebook.

鈥淚 too love to see this guy! He makes my day,鈥� added another.

But some drivers aren鈥檛 happy with the delays. Some hurl racial slurs at him. His response? 鈥淭hat ain鈥檛 the way we鈥檙e born,鈥� Mr. Patterson said. 鈥淵ou put little kids together, they鈥檒l play together no matter their color. Racism is something you learn, it鈥檚 something you鈥檙e taught.鈥�

The late Nelson Mandela made a similar observation in his book 鈥淟ong Walk to Freedom鈥�: 鈥淚f they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.鈥�

Wearing a fluorescent yellow safety vest and a wide smile, Mr. Patterson teaches love.