Thursday, August 9, 2012

I am not JOHN GAULT

“... but how the Commies managed to make a poor country out of a nation full of Germans is a mystery”

--P. J. O’Rourke

This quote helps Americans understand that the consumers can do it anywhere and now they are doing it to us. Where are the producers? Are we willing to be one?

Without more producers I know the American economy will get worse.

I have attended many men’s support groups and herd the men arguing and competing with one aother saying “My misery is the worse than yours is. I am living on the street!

So I am worthy of being helped.”

Then the other said “I was shot in the back four times in the street; that is why I am in this wheel chair. I am more worthier than you.” Why do we spend so much time trying to sell our problems rather than sell our strengths? Do we really believe that the other people have so few problems that they will pay us for ours.

When I go out to the store nowdays sometimes I find an old man about my age standing on the corner with a sign saying “Help I had a Heart Attack”, rather than saying “I can do this for you will you pay me?” I want to compete with him and claim my misery is worse than his. I want to say “Hey man, do you think you are the only one who has been on that operating table. My misery is worse than yours!” I do not because if I won I would lose and I do not like losing.

Recently I pulled into a gas station as I saw my world dark and depressed. I had only $5.00 in my pocket and no credit available on my card. A man asked me to let him wash my car windshield. Now call me a meany if you wish, but I do not give money away and I like to get my money’s worth. I was worried this was just a roose to get me to give him some think for nothing or claim I owed him $5.00 once the job was done. I asked him how much do you charge? I like all the details up front. He told me that he could not ask for payment or set a price because if he did he could be charged with running a business without a license. The police would chase him off the lot and out of the neighborhood. I said if you tried to sell me your misery and ask me for something for nothing I’d bet they would not hassle you at all would they?

“That is right but I want to earn my way.” I said “If I gave you a $1.00 to clean my windshield would you be happy?” He said “yes” so I told him to go ahead. He did a first class job on my windshield with paper towels. I paid him $1.00. He then had to reveal that one of his hands was crippled up. I asked him to clean the rest of my windows and I would find a better way to pay him. He did and I did. I paid him with an old pair of work gloves that I found in my trunk as his hands were cold in the cool air. I also found a old squeegee in that trunk and asked him to clean my tires in exchange. He did.

I may have had only $4.00 gas in my tank but I gave him nothing. He earned the $1.00, an old pair of gloves, and a useable squeegee for his “non-business”. I got my windows cleaned, a much brighter better view of the world through my windshield, a new faith in setting up my own business and the honor of doing business with a real man, a real entrepreneur. He earned his way and his honor and I got more that my money’s worth.

These events remind me of my favorite baseball player when I was a kid. His name was Pete Gray. He was the roockey of the year in the major league and he is now in the baseball hall of fame. He was a man who did not look down and say look I have been missing an arm since I was a child so buy my misery as it is worse then yours. He said this arm I have and I WILL use it to play ball!

I have earned a successful life for 70 years now. I will not sell you my problems. My misery is none of your damn business. My strengths I will sell to you. What are you buying?

I am not John Galt.

I am Mr. John C. Cupido the son of an Italian Immigrant. I am the OLD IDEA MAN and I will absolutely never quit!

Link

Via Tom

No comments:

Post a Comment