As a bagpiper, I was asked by a funeral director to play
at a graveside service for a homeless man who had no
family or friends.
The funeral was to be held at a cemetery in the remote
countryside and this man would be the first to
be laid to rest there.
As I was not familiar with the backwoods area,
I became lost and being a typical man, did not
stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late.
I saw the backhoe and the crew who were eating
lunch but the hearse was nowhere in sight.
I apologized to the workers for my tardiness and
stepped to the side of the open grave where I saw
the vault lid already in place.
I assured the workers I would not hold them up
for long but this was the proper thing to do. The
workers gathered around, still eating their lunch.
I played out my heart and soul.
As I played the workers began to weep. I played
and I played like I'd never played before, from
Going Home and The Lord is My Shepherd to
Flowers of the Forest . I closed the lengthy
session with Amazing Grace and walked to my car.
As I was opening the door and taking off my coat,
I overheard one of the workers saying to another,
"Sweet Jeezuz, Mary 'n Joseph, I never seen nothin'
like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks
for twenty years."
.
at a graveside service for a homeless man who had no
family or friends.
The funeral was to be held at a cemetery in the remote
countryside and this man would be the first to
be laid to rest there.
As I was not familiar with the backwoods area,
I became lost and being a typical man, did not
stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late.
I saw the backhoe and the crew who were eating
lunch but the hearse was nowhere in sight.
I apologized to the workers for my tardiness and
stepped to the side of the open grave where I saw
the vault lid already in place.
I assured the workers I would not hold them up
for long but this was the proper thing to do. The
workers gathered around, still eating their lunch.
I played out my heart and soul.
As I played the workers began to weep. I played
and I played like I'd never played before, from
Going Home and The Lord is My Shepherd to
Flowers of the Forest . I closed the lengthy
session with Amazing Grace and walked to my car.
As I was opening the door and taking off my coat,
I overheard one of the workers saying to another,
"Sweet Jeezuz, Mary 'n Joseph, I never seen nothin'
like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks
for twenty years."
.
LCHIEN
Loring in Katy, TX USA
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