On a recent Saturday morning, an excited crowd gathered together on San Francisco's waterfront. They were watching in amazement as bubble (气泡) artist Kurth Reis slowly drew a large bubble from his bucket (桶) and released it into the air. Several minutes later, the bubble suddenly popped. A little girl in the crowd jumped and clapped. She turned to Reis, eager for another show. The "bubble man" had succeeded once again in bringing a little bit of joy to others.
The 49-year-old traveled a rocky path to his new "job". In 2018, Reis, then a deliveryman, had a serious motorcycle accident. The man had several operations. Each time he woke up after an operation, he felt like he had been "reborn". Following 88 days in the hospital, he felt ready to start a new life. In 2020, COVID-19 fled his city with sorrow. Reis thought about what he could do to help make people feel happy again. He turned to soap and learned to make large bubbles.
Last year, Reis began performing his art form in parks across San Francisco. People started to call him the "bubble man". Some of them give him tips, but the man says he doesn't care about the money. Reis feels that his art is useful in more important ways. Not long ago, a woman spoke to him after watching one of his performances. She told him that she had been very sad ever since her father's death. Seeing his "joyful" bubbles, however, made her feel much better.
"I can't save the world. I'm not trying to," Reis says. "But by making some bubbles, I can put a smile on somebody's face. "
