As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to
play at a grave side 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 man, I
didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and saw 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,
and 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 nothing like that before and I've been putting in
septic tanks for twenty years."
Apparently I'm still lost!!!