Might as well get it started
A Homeless Man's funeral . . .
As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral
director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He
had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the
Kentucky back country.
As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being
a typical truck driver, I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an
hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse
was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they
were eating lunch.
I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went
to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already
in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.
The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I
played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and
friends.
I played like I've never played before for this homeless man. And as I
played 'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept,
we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started
for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.
As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say,
"I never seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in
septic tanks for twenty years."
Apparently I'm still lost....
A Homeless Man's funeral . . .
As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral
director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He
had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the
Kentucky back country.
As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being
a typical truck driver, I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an
hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse
was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they
were eating lunch.
I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went
to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already
in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.
The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I
played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and
friends.
I played like I've never played before for this homeless man. And as I
played 'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept,
we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started
for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.
As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say,
"I never seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in
septic tanks for twenty years."
Apparently I'm still lost....