There is a story
of an older gentleman, a carpenter and builder, who had a reputation for being
a craftsman. Honest. Sincere.
Never cut corners.
He announced his
retirement and the company owner persuaded him to build one more house, instructing
him to do his very best work, to not cut corners, to make it his best house
yet.
As the older
gentleman planned and mapped the construction, it occurred to him that while
many of the younger carpenters and builders padded expense accounts, used
cheaper wood and brick, electrical and plumbing even though they charged for
the more expensive types, he had never done so.
He had never done that. The older
gentleman decided that he, just this once, could do this too. Pocket some extra money. No one would know. No one would suspect.
So he did.
Cheaper
wood. Less expensive brick. Electrical and plumbing to code, but not even
close to his standards. The house, while
it looked nice, was, well, cheap.
At the finish,
the owner and several of the management met the older gentleman at the house
for the final inspection. Before they
entered, the owner handed him the keys and said, “We appreciate all you’ve
done. You’ve helped built this company
to where it is today, just because of your honesty, your integrity, and your
craftsmanship and reputation. So it is
with honor, that I present you with this house as a thank you from us to
you. You deserve it.” And they
applauded. A Final Applause.
Hmmm . . .
Not sure what
the older gentleman did. Not sure how he
felt. Honesty. Integrity.
Craftsmanship. Reputation.
Several thoughts
come to mind . . .
He cheated
himself and no one else. He had built
himself, created for himself, a reputation built on honesty, integrity, and
craftsmanship. You could say that now,
he had built his house and now he will live in it.
I attended the
service for my deceased nephew, Jared.
It was a beautiful, meaningful, service.
A tribute to a life well-lived, even though he had barely twenty-one
years on this earth, in the lives of those whom he loved and those who loved
him.
Several spoke
about his honesty, his integrity. They
mentioned that if any of those whom he considered friends picked on or was
critical of or was ‘lording it over’ any others, those friends simply weren’t
his friends any longer. He was
unpretentious. Easygoing. Positive, looking for the good in everyone
and, expecting good to be shown and extended to others.
He began each
day, every day in the same way: playing “Play That Funky Music White Boy”
because as he reasoned, “You can’t start the day with that song and have a bad
day!” Not a bad way to begin a day, any
day, every day.
The pastor
likened Jared’s life to a symphony, a concert, or a movie. At the end of a symphony, a concert, or a
well-done movie, people applaud. They
might stand up in an ovation. That’s how
Jared’s service ended: with an ovation and applause for a life well-lived.
A Final
Applause.
The older
gentleman who had lived his life and who had built his reputation with honesty,
integrity, and craftsmanship, faltered at the end, living in the house he had
built. Jared lived his life with passion
and kindness, with honesty and integrity.
For one, a house that was shabbily built. Built not up to his standards. Corners cut.
Cheaply made. Jared, he built
his house, his life, with honesty and integrity, with passion and concern for
others. He lived his life to the
full. For himself, for others. A choice, I guess. For each of us. Something to think about . . .
Live Your Life,
and Make A Difference!
"A beautifully written tribute to a life well lived, that calls on us to examine who we want to be. Well done Joseph, your writing inspires me to go deeper and your nephew has inspired me to reach further. Thank you."
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