Not many people know this but I play the bagpipes a bit and was asked recently to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family and no friends, so the service was to be graveside at a pauper's cemetery in the back country. As I was not familiar with that neck of the woods I got lost and being a guy I did not stop for directions. When I finally arrived I was more than an hour late and saw that the funeral director had already left and the hearse was nowhere to be seen. There were only the grave 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 began to play.
The workers put down their lunch and began to gather around. I played my heart and soul out for this man with no family or friends. I played like I have never played before!
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 installing septic tanks for twenty years!"
The workers put down their lunch and began to gather around. I played my heart and soul out for this man with no family or friends. I played like I have never played before!
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 installing septic tanks for twenty years!"
