This Florida man found his purpose while watching the sunrise every day from the same spot

The sun rises over the ocean.
(Image credit: iStock)

Every day from 6 to 8 a.m., you'll find Al Nixon sitting at his favorite bench in St. Petersburg, Florida, drinking coffee, listening to music on his phone, and providing a comforting presence to the other park regulars.

Nixon, 58, first came to this park seven years ago, looking to clear his head. Watching the sunrise over the ocean, he was at ease, and he started coming to the park several days a week. One day, a woman walking by stopped and told Nixon, "I know when I see you sitting there that everything is going to be all right."

Nixon was overwhelmed, he told The Tampa Bay Times, and "for the first time, I knew there was more of a purpose to me being out here than just soothing my own woes. We have an impact on other people, unwittingly, and I'm sure it can be both good or bad." The woman's remark resonated so strongly with Nixon that he now never misses a morning at his bench. He spends much of the time connecting with others — some might just say hello, while others talk to him about their relationships or kids.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Nixon, a father of three, only gives advice when asked, he told the Times, and he doesn't judge anyone. "Mostly people just want to be heard," he added. "I've heard a thousand stories. I don't consider myself all that smart, or debonair, but I'm a good listener."

In the fall, Nixon went out of town for a few days, and when he wasn't in his usual spot at the park, people thought the worst. Someone put a plaque on the bench thanking Nixon for being "a loving and loyal friend and a confidant to many," and he had to quickly let people know online that he wasn't dead. "It's a wonderful thing to make a person know they're appreciated like that, while they're still alive," he told the Times.

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.