Blog
Life can be like a game of checkers. I haven’t played checkers in many, many years, but I remember well a few I played decades ago. My maternal grandfather had a farm in western Kentucky. Although he never learned to read or write, he had one of the best business minds I have ever known. I often find myself reflecting on the lessons learned from his example.
I am reminded of the well known line Clint Eastwood spoke in the Dirty Harry movies, “Are you feeling lucky today, punk?” Lucky is not in my normal vocabulary. Honestly, I can’t remember how long it has been since I have even used the word. I accept that some people appear to be lucky, but I have never considered myself to be a member of that elite club.
An important introductory note: I met Sam today while visiting my wife in rehab. Tomorrow marks the end of the 5th month since my wife’s brain trauma began. A stubborn aneurysm that burst twice was only the beginning. You can scan some earlier blogs for more details. She is now in a local care facility for rehab. Today is Saturday 2/24/17.
In my last blog I voiced concern over our increasingly divided nation. Our news outlets seem to enjoy fanning the flames that destroy hope. When hope is lost, a nation, a society, a government, a people, a marriage, a family… will perish! Unfortunately, heartwarming stories don’t drive ratings like sensational stories do.
I grew up in a small mid-western community. Most of the people I knew were either employed in local factories or in farming. My dad was a schoolteacher and my mother stayed home working hard for her husband and her four children. As a young child I was always the first one on up on Christmas day. I remember one year, my dad in an effort to get a little more sleep required that we be dressed before we opened gifts. No problem, I just put my pajamas on over my clothes.
The words in the title above appear to be totally opposite, but the following few paragraphs will unite them. I believe many of society’s ills would be vastly diminished with a good dose of compassion, laced with a pinch of selfishness. For that to take root, as the saying goes, would take a come to Jesus meeting.
In the business sense, holding hands carries the connotation of an employee who is incapable of following instructions without someone “holding his hand.” Musically, a song about holding hands was a runaway hit for a new group called the Beatles. But, as you would expect, I am taking the idea of holding hands in a different direction.
