jkdoyle.com

My grandfather passed away in 1991. He was 87 years old. He spent his entire life on one farm, dying within yards of where he was born. He never finished high school. As a matter of fact, I think he only finished 7th or 8th grade before he went to work in the coal mines of southeastern Oklahoma. He worked hard all of his life and died with a hammer in his hand. The farthest he ever traveled from home was a trip to Nashville...beyond that, West Texas was about the only long trips he ever took (and those he only took to see his children and grand-children). The highest official positions of honor he held was serving most of his life on the hometown school-board (for a school that ran about 400 students K-12) and being a 32nd degree Mason. My grandfather was a nobody in the world's terms:  He didn't achieve much, wasn't wealthy, wasn't institutionally educated, wasn't famous, he didn't "change the world".

He was the greatest man I've ever known.

My grandfather was brilliant and not just to me. I remember people from my hometown--including the highly educated school superintendant--coming to sit beneath the pecan trees near my grandfather's house to get advice from him. He was not only intelligent, he was wise. He was a faithful husband.  He was a great dad and even better grandfather. His friends knew they could trust him.  Someone who knew him told me once,  "He's one of two men I've never heard anyone say any cross word about".   My grandfather didn't desire fame, wealth, status, or power, so he never had reason to use people. As far as I can tell, his only motivation in life was to be a good, hard-working man.

There's a contentment found in such a life that is rare in this American culture.   It's not enough for us anymore to simply be a good man (or woman).  We must achieve. We must accomplish. We must build. We must pursue pleasure. All the pursuits that left Qohelet feeling that life is lived in vain.

In our culture we are not content to live in our "starter home" for more than a few years.  We are not content with the salaries we make.  In our culture we are not content with the relationships we have.  We are not content to be followers but are obsessed with being leaders. In our culture we are not content to be a "nobody" in the world's eyes, rejecting the pursuit of rank, fame, or power for ourselves.  To be content in such ways in our culture is a sin.  

Our culture cries out:  "Come to me all you who are heavy laden, and I'll give you more. Don't you know you should be doing more?"

(modified from a post that was originally on liquidthinking.org in 2004)

Comments

Add New Search RSS

Write comment
Name:
Email:	do not notifynotify
Website:
Title:
UBBCode:	-color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge
	Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.26

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."