A bagpiper's story
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 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. As I played 'Amazing
Grace,' the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, 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 was opening the
door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "Sweet Mother of Jesus,
I never seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in septic
tanks for twenty years!"
