Wednesday, March 7, 2012

     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 cemetery in the back country of Georgia.
   Since I was from Alabama and not familiar with the back country of Georgia, I got lost and, being a real man, 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 here in the back country of Georgia.
   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 ain't  seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."

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