When Pedro Lopez goes out to sell The Contributor, he appreciates what he gets — but he relishes the chance to give.
More than just letting that paper go, he tries to pay forward as many little blessings as he can.
“A lot of people don’t know what you’re going through,” Lopez said. “And I wanna shout out the people who bless me with the paper. I give them gifts — even if it’s small, little things, I give ‘em. If somebody gives me bags of candy, I’ll pass ‘em out to my customers. Knick-knacks, whatever I get.”
It’s a “crazy world out there,” and getting crazier every year, as he sees it. Lopez said he’s encountered the whole gamut of strangers in his time vending, from the opportunistic and rude to the empathetic and generous. Rather than endure the former and idly accept the latter, Lopez makes it a personal goal to replicate positive experiences by simply passing along gifts where he can.
“They bless me. I’m gonna bless them.”
And Lopez makes it no secret that those blessings stick with him; for every act of charity he carries with him, he has a name to go along with it.
“So one, there’s Intertek — Jess, her name is Jessica. She got me this snowsuit,” Lopez explained, gesturing to his cloud-gray coveralls. “Bill and Connie, Jack and his wife, Shannon from First Baptist Church right here on Broadway. A few others. McKayla, she’s blessed me. There’s really a lot more to mention … I just want to say thank you to all the people that supported me.”
He rattles off in remembrance the names of countless people he was grateful for and why, from Leslie at the Nashville Rescue Mission, who buys an issue from him every week, to Emily, who brought him a Christmas card with enough cash to comfortably enjoy the holiday.
For anyone on the street, Lopez said, little gestures like these are stirring in their compassion.
“When people are sad and down, that’s a blessing to them. I just wish God would bless them the way He blessed me.”
As for why he’s been so lucky to make so many friends while vending, Lopez has a simple answer.
“Well, they say it’s my smile.”
Lopez wants to make sure it’s known how much he cares for the people who have helped him along the way, he said, because he’s not far from hanging up the gloves.
“I do have two medals I got from The Contributor and the year before. I wanna go out with a three-peat,” Lopez explained, laughing. “Then, I’m 62 — I wanna travel. I do travel a lot but I want to travel more. Places I’ve never seen.”
Wanting to make rich memories while he’s able to, Lopez plans to visit corners far from home and spend extra time with his granddaughter, Gigi.
It’s not totally final, as he hopes to swing by the office someday and write a story or two, but he’s looking forward to starting new ventures.
“It’s sad,” he said. “But I don’t want to be the oldest person out there sellin’ papers, you know? It’s been good while I’ve done it. I got to interact with people, the good and the bad.”
Lopez said he’s grateful for a lot The Contributor has helped him out with — including the dentures crucial to his winning smile — but more than anything, he’ll miss the communal spirit he cultivated at his spot over his years of vending.
“I just hope they bless the next person that’s there on my spot. I know they’ll miss me, but I wish them good in life. They loved the paper, but they always loved my smile. Just brighten somebody else’s life… the way they brightened mine.”