#jamesrobertson

Why is James Robertson designing north*?

Jim Robertson doesn’t look like your average endurance athlete, but he has been walking a marathon-length commute five days a week to work for the last decade – rain, snow or shine.

Robertson, a 56 year-old, soft-spoken man, starts his daily 23 mile commute at 8 a.m. from his home in Detroit, to his job at Schain Mold & Engineering in Rochester Hills, where he makes $10.55 an hour. While he is able to catch a bus for part of his journey, he walks 21 of those 23 miles. His commute and workday consume 22 hours of his day. But despite the distance, he isn’t complaining, and has never missed a day of work.

He says every trip – through some of the city’s most dangerous areas – is an ordeal of mental and physical toughness, and every day is a tribute to how much he cares about his job, his boss and his co-workers.

After a feature ran in the Detroit Free Press, multiple people started GoFundMe campaigns to raise $5000 to help Roberston get a new car. Combining their campaigns into one, they have well exceeded their goal, raising over $66,000 in just one day. The money will be used to get him a car, and also to help Robertson in any way he needs it.

The generosity of strangers touched by his story and wanting to help, is eclipsed only by Robertson’s own spirit, dedication to his job and sheer perseverance. That is why James Robertson is *designing north*.

*Many people in this world “add a little extra” to whatever they do: their career, how they live, the relationships they nurture, or just a random act of kindness — and we consider that *designing north* — designing your life and living it just north of the average bell curve.

James Robertson is designing north. Are you or someone you know? Tell us. We're looking for the global count.

Read More:

Heart and sole: Detroiter walks 21 miles in work commute

Detroiter's daily trek inspires hundreds to donate

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