THE LUNAR REPORT - "DISAPPOINTED" February 1, 2010
I’m disappointed. I guess all my angels and the blessings they have pushed my way lately have spoiled me just a bit. I really can’t get into specifics here. Maybe one day I will. It involves others.
It just troubles me that as so many angels lock wings and surround us in beautiful flight, there remain a few of us who hunker into our own world and ignore the beauty and the possibilities. I guess we should pity those few. They are missing out on so much.
Over the years, I’ve done quite a bit of work for John Deere. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of editing a small video piece, commemorating the birthday of John Deere, the man. I learned something during that edit.
During the Great Depression, our nation’s farmers owed a great deal of money to John Deere. For many of those farmers, it was impossible at that time to repay those loans under the original credit terms. Deere had every right back then, just as companies do today, to repossess every bit of equipment they had sold “on time.” Instead, John Deere strapped on the angel wings.
Deere had a choice back then. They could have gone by the book and made the logical “on-paper” business decision. This would have destroyed a good percentage of their customer base, but it would have no doubt pleased the money guys at the time. Or, Deere could have cut all those folks some slack and had faith that good things would result from their understanding and actions.
Ever wonder why so many farmers and others so proudly wear John Deere hats or proudly display John Deere plates on their cars and trucks? That all began with John Deere’s Great Depression choice.
I have often written about my “dark period.” With the help of a really good friend, my best angel ever, I got out of that darkness. Even as bright as my new world became, I was still pretty much broke. For weeks, even months and years, after my new daylight began, it was not uncommon for me to have only ten or twenty dollars to my name. But it would be quite common for people in need to find me at supermarket doorways, across parking lots – anywhere I happened to be. People found me. Looking for help. It was amazing really. These folks would walk right past people piling bags and bags of groceries into their SUVs and find me standing next to my old Chrysler, eating a pack of crackers. And they would ask me for help. I had almost nothing. But they found me. I did what I could.
I had faith. Call it God or karma or whatever you want. But I knew I would make it without what I shared. My Mom is a religious lady. I remember asking her once during this time what she would do. What if she had only 10-dollars to her name, but she knew she wouldn’t need that money until the next day when she would surely need it? Then, what if someone, anyone, walked up to her and told her that they needed ten-dollars that night – right then and there? Would she hang onto that money to fill her need the next day, or would she give up all she had to fulfill a stranger’s need that night? Holding onto her faith that God would provide for her? She answered as I knew she would. That woman has faith.
One time, my best angel and I were traveling somewhere. As usual, we had very little money. But we had some at the time. We stopped at a rest area off Interstate 40 in eastern North Carolina. As we were pulling out of our parking space to leave the rest area, a young couple in a car even older than mine pulled up along side us. They motioned to us to stop. We did. They needed a few dollars to get where they were going. Still not quite in the place I needed to be, my mind began to conjure up excuses as to why we couldn’t help. My angel reached in my pocket and pulled out $20. She handed it to me to pass to the young couple. Those two were so grateful. I was feeling so good about myself. The man said to me, “Give me your address, and I will pay you back.” Being the saint that I felt I was at the time, I generously offered, “Look. I may need your help up the road. Help me when you see me.” My angel interrupted, “Maybe one day you can help someone else who needs it.” My sainthood was shot all to hell. And it was a blessing.
Sometimes we just need to understand and bend a little. Sometimes we just need to have faith. I don’t know about you. But I think I’d rather have little more than crackers and share what I have, than to have an SUV full of groceries and not even be acknowledged.
It just troubles me that as so many angels lock wings and surround us in beautiful flight, there remain a few of us who hunker into our own world and ignore the beauty and the possibilities. I guess we should pity those few. They are missing out on so much.
Over the years, I’ve done quite a bit of work for John Deere. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of editing a small video piece, commemorating the birthday of John Deere, the man. I learned something during that edit.
During the Great Depression, our nation’s farmers owed a great deal of money to John Deere. For many of those farmers, it was impossible at that time to repay those loans under the original credit terms. Deere had every right back then, just as companies do today, to repossess every bit of equipment they had sold “on time.” Instead, John Deere strapped on the angel wings.
Deere had a choice back then. They could have gone by the book and made the logical “on-paper” business decision. This would have destroyed a good percentage of their customer base, but it would have no doubt pleased the money guys at the time. Or, Deere could have cut all those folks some slack and had faith that good things would result from their understanding and actions.
Ever wonder why so many farmers and others so proudly wear John Deere hats or proudly display John Deere plates on their cars and trucks? That all began with John Deere’s Great Depression choice.
I have often written about my “dark period.” With the help of a really good friend, my best angel ever, I got out of that darkness. Even as bright as my new world became, I was still pretty much broke. For weeks, even months and years, after my new daylight began, it was not uncommon for me to have only ten or twenty dollars to my name. But it would be quite common for people in need to find me at supermarket doorways, across parking lots – anywhere I happened to be. People found me. Looking for help. It was amazing really. These folks would walk right past people piling bags and bags of groceries into their SUVs and find me standing next to my old Chrysler, eating a pack of crackers. And they would ask me for help. I had almost nothing. But they found me. I did what I could.
I had faith. Call it God or karma or whatever you want. But I knew I would make it without what I shared. My Mom is a religious lady. I remember asking her once during this time what she would do. What if she had only 10-dollars to her name, but she knew she wouldn’t need that money until the next day when she would surely need it? Then, what if someone, anyone, walked up to her and told her that they needed ten-dollars that night – right then and there? Would she hang onto that money to fill her need the next day, or would she give up all she had to fulfill a stranger’s need that night? Holding onto her faith that God would provide for her? She answered as I knew she would. That woman has faith.
One time, my best angel and I were traveling somewhere. As usual, we had very little money. But we had some at the time. We stopped at a rest area off Interstate 40 in eastern North Carolina. As we were pulling out of our parking space to leave the rest area, a young couple in a car even older than mine pulled up along side us. They motioned to us to stop. We did. They needed a few dollars to get where they were going. Still not quite in the place I needed to be, my mind began to conjure up excuses as to why we couldn’t help. My angel reached in my pocket and pulled out $20. She handed it to me to pass to the young couple. Those two were so grateful. I was feeling so good about myself. The man said to me, “Give me your address, and I will pay you back.” Being the saint that I felt I was at the time, I generously offered, “Look. I may need your help up the road. Help me when you see me.” My angel interrupted, “Maybe one day you can help someone else who needs it.” My sainthood was shot all to hell. And it was a blessing.
Sometimes we just need to understand and bend a little. Sometimes we just need to have faith. I don’t know about you. But I think I’d rather have little more than crackers and share what I have, than to have an SUV full of groceries and not even be acknowledged.
Please visit the sites of some of my friends.
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