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's cemetery in the Wisconsin back country. I was not familiar with the backwoods and got lost among the back roads. I arrived an hour late & saw that the funeral director was gone and the hearse was no where in sight. Only the diggers and crew were 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 my heart out like never before for this man with no family or friends. As I played "Amazing Grace" the workers began to weep. We all wept together. Then 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 nothin' like that before and I have been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.
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 my heart out like never before for this man with no family or friends. As I played "Amazing Grace" the workers began to weep. We all wept together. Then 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 nothin' like that before and I have been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.
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