The Mark of David
Closing the door behind me, I leave
my girlfriend in tears. We are both twenty-five, two years out of college, and
four years dating. Unfortunate for our love, we desire different outcomes from
our relationship. I lean against the door to rest. I can hear her sobbing. This
is not the first time we have argued about the future of our relationship. She
wants marriage, parenthood, and the white picket fence. I continue to tell her that
I want to find a better job and save up some money. But honestly, there is
something else that is on my mind.
Marriage is an end. I am not
compelled to be like everyone else. I envision more than a job, a wife, kids,
and retirement. I aspire to create a change for the good of all mankind. A life
of importance never stops moving. Becoming famous with all its trappings is not
my striving, but I do have a passion to leave my mark in this world. A cure for
cancer or to free Tibet or to invent the new life changing invention demands a
life of dedication and focus. Marriage and family would interfere.
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree
in computer science. With computers being an integral part of everyone’s life,
this field appears the key to unlock the inner demand of my heart. Although I graduated
with honors and flooded the corporate vast land with credentials, I have yet
received any career offers.
As temporary employment, I have been
toiling at a thrift store hired for donation pickups. I have labored there for
almost a year. My position entails acquiring contributions from people who are
either unable to deliver the items themselves or people who are in possession
of a myriad of items. Every day I occupy this position, serves as a reminder of
my desire to create a difference.
I come to the conclusion not to step
back into the house. Neither one of us has anything new to add in the matter of
our relationship and its direction. I slowly walk away from the door, slump in
my car, grudgingly turn the key, and drive to work. I will contact and check on
her later. I loathe abandoning her in such a disconcerted disposition. I do care about her.
I pull in to work with five minutes
to spare, noticing my partner is already here. He normally clocks-in thirty
minutes early to review the pickups and hobnob with our supervisors. I amble in
the warehouse and share half-hearted morning greetings to all the volunteers.
The volunteers are either retirees occupying time or college aged kids who are
either working on a thesis or working as an apprentice. The only paid people
are my partner and me, who are the pickup drivers, and the administration
staff, who manage the place. The warehouse is rather substantial and its
activity brings to mind ants scurrying about after someone has stepped on their
hill.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are our pickup days. Today is
Thursday. I am encouraged with the thought that the weekend is almost here. I
will invite my girlfriend on a romantic rendezvous in an effort to smooth over
our disagreement we engaged in this morning. An enchanting, candlelit dinner
may be just the remedy.
Todd allows me to
view the route sheets. I notice we only have four pickups today which mean a
short day. Our first stop is about 15 miles from headquarters in a city called
Senoia. That’s where they are filming the television show “The Walking Dead.”
How fitting with my soul today. Fortunately, the house we are driving to will be
away from the downtown area where they are filming.
The thought of a quick call to my girlfriend before we
start enters my mind. I am curious of her state. I better not though, as I
don’t want to restart the conversation we had this morning. I’ll call her at
lunch…maybe.
The store’s truck’s mechanical operation
has been noticeably odd lately. Whatever the problem though, must not be too
serious, for the thrift store is still letting us drive the truck and conduct
pickups. The truck is about ten years old and contains a back saving lift gate.
Some of the furniture is too heavy for two people to place in the truck. The
truck is comfortable to ride in, although we spend little time driving as our
pickups are local, within a thirty mile radius. Most of our time is spent
moving the furniture and loading.
We arrive precisely at nine o’clock
to our first pickup. As we drive closer to the house I notice a man, appearing in
his 60’s, walking from his front door along the lawn walkway. He is tall, lanky
and strides of a man much younger. With his red hat and unbuttoned outing
shirt, he resembles a farmer. I notice he’s donning a T-shirt with some writing
on the front but I can’t quite make out the words.
Todd, my partner, is the driver. He is an older man in
his late forties. He handles all the logistics such as directions and asking
the people for signatures on the paperwork. Todd has been employed with the
company for five years. He was a consultant for an investment firm which hired
him straight out of college. His degree is in business administration.
Todd drives the truck a little past the customer’s
driveway at an angle, so he can backup. He stops, in order for me to hop out.
As I start walking up the driveway, Todd backs the truck up towards the
customer’s garage. I swiftly walk up the driveway to the sidewalk in the front
of the house where I greet our customer. He is a talker, and within a few
moments, I know his overall life statistics.
His name is David Ivey. Originally from Iowa, he has
moved many times before ending up in Senoia, Georgia. He left Iowa to go to
school in Texas where he ended up securing a job with a high profile computer
firm. Moving always led to a better position and a higher paying salary.
After telling the short version of his life story, he
inquires what company I represent. He says three other companies are meeting
him today concerning his move.
I inform him we are with the thrift
store. By then, Todd has jumped out of the truck and joined us. David summons
us to follow him. He guides us through the garage, yet explains that moving the
furniture through the front door will be the best way. He points out the
furniture that he is donating. The furniture’s condition is unusually finer
than the furniture we normally receive. Most of the furniture we come across
exhibits much wear and tear and fashionably passé. David’s furniture though, is
relatively new looking and very cosmopolitan.
The quantity of furniture he is contributing will fill half the truck; another
unusual occurrence. The items include a sofa, a love seat, 3 end tables, 2
coffee tables, chairs, dining room table, and an entertainment center. This is
plenty of furniture for a young couple to start their first home.
When that thought passes through my
head, I remember about Grace, my girlfriend, and the entanglement we continue to
rehash. If marriage is a venture that I really want, Grace would be the perfect
partner. She is beautiful, smart, challenging, and a girl who I can imagine as
a loving, caring mother. But again, once I commit to her, I will lose my hope.
We load up the furniture with David’s
help. Todd stays in the back of the truck and straps the furniture down, as
David and I bring him different pieces. David seems as strong as me, as he
never hesitates to pick up pieces of furniture and never stops when we carry
them out to the truck. I keep thinking in the back of my mind that David must
have been quite the athlete when he was younger.
We finish up, only taking fifteen
minutes. I close the back door of the truck while Todd receives David’s
signature on the inventory sheet. We say our goodbyes and believe to be through.
As we leave, Todd notices some steam coming out from the side of the truck. We
jump out and investigate. We find that the truck has simply overheated. David,
who had just about gone inside, ventures back out wondering if he can be of
assistance. Todd tells him what is going on and that the truck needs to cool
off. In the meantime, I report to the thrift store on our status. Our
supervisor will have someone bring us some water and coolant, but because of
being short-handed and a busy schedule will not be able to help us for a couple
of hours.
After hanging up the phone, I relay
the message to Todd. David overhears our conversation and invites us in without
hesitation. Todd asks if we are putting him out, but David’s invitation is
sincere. I believe most people would have handled this kind of incident as an
inconvenience. With David, this seems to open up an opportunity. He escorts us
both in and offers us something to drink. We accept. Then he offers us seats. Todd
fatigued from working at his night job becomes comfortable and in no time
drifts off to sleep. I though am curious about David’s shirt. Now that I am up close,
I can see what it says. So, I ask him to
explain what his shirt means. That’s when David begins telling me a
life-changing story.
David is wearing a gray shirt that
has a red equal sign on the left front side with a picture of a log cabin on
the right side. After I ask him about the shirt, David takes a big swig of his
drink, leans back in his chair, and begins to speak. I sit back in my chair and
sip on my drink as he begins to divulge with a harmonic tone and with bedside
ability, the story of the shirt that equals a log cabin in the woods.
“My last name is Ivey,” he said. “I
grew up on a farm in Iowa. My dad, a third generation farmer, grew all kinds of
vegetables as had his dad. But because of the oil shortage and the other uses
found for this particular crop, my dad became exclusively a corn farmer.”
“As soon as I was able, which was around the age of ten,
my dad taught me how to farm with its day to day operations; milking the cows,
feeding the chickens and pigs, and running the tractors and other machinery. I
even drove a car at the age of eleven. Of course, I never drove outside of the
farm.”
“From the start, everything seemed
to come easy for me. Whatever I seemed to do, I would always seem to come out
on top. If we picked corn, I would pick the most. If we collected eggs, I would
collect the most. I could plow the straightest furrows in the fields. Even when
my mom gave me piano lessons, I caught on so well, many called me an
accomplished musician. School, work, sports, and even girls, came easy for me.
That’s why my nickname was “Growing” Ivey. I either had a green thumb or the
“Midas Touch”, for it seemed that whatever I tried turned out great. My class
even voted me the “Most Likely to Succeed.””
He continued, “When I was twelve, I
realized that farming was not the vocation in my heart. I could not envision
myself sitting on a tractor, or feeding chickens, or milking cows for the rest
of my life. I had something else that interested me; the law. My favorite books
were law and detective stories such as John Grisham and Mickey Spillane. My
favorite television shows were the old Perry Mason’s, Matlock, and any other
show that contained a lawyer or detective searching for the truth. Realizing
this, I knew my family would take my decision hard.”
David takes a breath. I ask him,
“What were your parents like growing up?”
David answers, “In our household honesty, integrity, and
truthfulness were held at very high standards. My dad held a lie worse than
murder. He was a man that everyone in the community respected and trusted. If there
was any unusual or serious situation in town, most people would come to my dad
for advice or to settle a dispute. They knew my dad was impartial and fair. He
believed in always being honest with others. When I turned sixteen and told my
dad that farming would not be my life’s work, it broke his heart, but he was proud
that I was honest and bold enough to tell him.”
David sits up and takes another swig
of his drink. He then leans back again. “My mom was made from the same mold.
She was a stay at home mom who made the job look easy. She was the backbone of
our family. My mom was so influential that both my sisters became stay at home
moms, each raising four children, even though each graduated from Iowa State
University. She too was disappointed
when I told her I was pursuing something other than farming. I think she hoped
I would change my mind after I went to school.”
“I had four siblings, two sisters
and two brothers. I was the youngest and the only one who moved away from Iowa
and from the area where we grew up. As I said, my two sisters became stay at
home moms, with one sister marrying a farmer while the other to a county milk
inspector. My brothers both carried on the family tradition and became farmers.
I was the only one who did something other than farming.”
“My family was devout Christians. We
went to a Southern Baptist church downtown where my dad was a deacon. My family
went to every Sunday morning service and to every Wednesday night dinner. All
of us were very active in the church and grew up knowing the Bible.”
“Although I came from a very happy
and a very stable family, I always desired something else. Having the “Midas
Touch” seemed to most people a blessing, but for me, at times, seemed like a
curse. With the ability to do things well, along with the desire to do make a
difference, ambition had a natural incubator.”
“At the age of 16, under the influence
of Perry Mason, Matlock, and even, Sherlock Holmes, I decided to pursue a
career in law and become a lawyer. I wasn’t sure what kind of lawyer I wanted
to be, but I knew the law was what interested me. Because I was a big fan of
the political activist William Buckley, Jr., I set my site on the University of
Texas. As with everything, I, “Growing” Ivey ended up there after graduation.”
“As “Growing” Ivey, I was the only
sibling whose college tuition came at no cost. Being 6’4” and a natural athlete,
I won a scholarship to the University of Texas in baseball. We won the Baseball
World Series in 1975 and I was even offered a baseball contract with a
professional team. I refused because my dream would be realized through the
law.”
David tells me, “My ambition was to
be somebody that made a difference. I didn’t want to go down in history as a
“no-name” farmer whose only accomplishment in life was to grow corn. I felt
within myself the blessing of greatness and believed that the greatness would
come by being a lawyer. The law would be the place where I would make my mark.”
I couldn’t believe the story that David was telling.
David’s ambitions and feelings aligned much with mine. To say the least, he had
my attention. I never let on that I am laboring through the same feelings. I
didn’t want him to stop talking.
With a boyish grin on his face, he
said, “Another place where I made my mark was with the ladies. At 6’4”, a baseball athlete and a student
enrolled in law was quite enough to attract most ladies. But I also had a gift
for the gab and a farm boy’s looks. I was slender, strong, and the girls use to
enjoy running their hands through my hair. I dated cheerleaders, band members,
actresses, and even, some female lawyers. I dated quite a bit until I met a
young girl named Mary Johnson. After just a few moments of talking with her, I
realized that she not only came from Iowa, but also was a fellow farm child. We
had a lot in common in background and in ambition. Mary was also on scholarship
with hers an academic scholarship. She was pretty, but her most beautiful
feature was her desire to make a difference. I knew she would be my wife.”
David excused himself to refill his
drink. I allowed my mind to wander wishing Grace was more like David’s Mary. If
she was, then we both would be able to be together pursuing the same dream. David’s
story implants a thought in my mind of whether I should search for a girl such
as Mary. I close my eyes for a moment and remember Grace in torment with tears
streaming down her face. Another question I should ask myself is, “Am I being
fair to Grace?” These are logical deductions. I notice a deep pang growing in
my belly. I can’t imagine not seeing Grace’s pretty face every day.
David trots back with a full drink
in his hand. He plops down, leans back, and asks, “Where was I?”
I shake out of my thoughts and say,
“You were talking about Mary.”
“Oh, yea, Mary. Mary’s degree was in accounting. Her
ambition was to be the CFO, Chief Financial Officer, of a large corporation.”
“After we both graduated with bachelor’s degrees, we became
husband and wife. Even though both of us came from strong families and rather
large ones, Mary having five brothers herself, we both decided to pursue our
ambitions. Before we married, we wrote up a pact stating that we would help and
encourage in fulfilling each other’s dreams. The pact also included an
amendment where we would not start a family until Mary became CFO of a large
corporation and me, a senior lawyer of a large corporation. We both believed
that happiness would come through a position where change could be made.”
“For Mary, she believed that once she
achieved her CFO position she could wield her influence and become chairman of
a large non-profit group. Once there, she would be able to help rid Africa once
and for all of starvation. A huge goal, yes, but remember, Mary was young when
she made this goal.”
“When I would become a lawyer of good standing and
prominence, then I would be able to become a judge or lobbyist and affect laws
that would benefit mankind.”
“Both Mary and I agreed that family
would be just them two until they were close to their goals. We both agreed
that children would have to wait. Our children, for the time being, would be our
dreams. Those dreams would need our full attention and our love.”
“Mary and I both graduated in the
same year with our bachelor’s degree. Three months later, we were married. We
both decided to do our Master’s work at the University of North Carolina in
Chapel Hill. I took the bar exam in North Carolina, passed, and was able to
practice law. I graduated before Mary with a master’s degree and was immediately
hired by a prominent insurance company as their claims lawyer.”
“Mary graduated a year later with her master’s, but spent
another four years working on her doctorate degree. During this time, I was the
bread winner.”
“In those four years while Mary was working on her doctorate degree, I worked my way up the corporate ladder. On Mary’s senior year of her doctorate degree, the largest computer company in the world hired me as their assistant defense attorney. This was quite an achievement for someone that was just in his early thirties. The only problem with the job was the firm was out in Seattle, Washington. Since Mary had not been offered a job yet, we both felt this was a good time to move.”
“In those four years while Mary was working on her doctorate degree, I worked my way up the corporate ladder. On Mary’s senior year of her doctorate degree, the largest computer company in the world hired me as their assistant defense attorney. This was quite an achievement for someone that was just in his early thirties. The only problem with the job was the firm was out in Seattle, Washington. Since Mary had not been offered a job yet, we both felt this was a good time to move.”
“Although the search took almost a
year, Mary landed her first position with a small logging firm. She had no
experience, but the logging firm made her their CFO. Being young and
intelligent, they would be able to mold her. The move of hiring Mary turned out
to be a successful one for both the logging company and for Mary.”
“The
logging corporation, before Mary’s hire, was generating a very low percentage
of profit and an even lower percentage of growth. Within the first year, they
were turning over both a double digit profit and growth rate. The best part was
the logging company was making greater profits with less work.”
“Mary worked
for the logging company for four years. By the time she left, they had become
the second largest mill in the region and were trading on Wall Street. This was
just the beginning for Mary.”
“Mary and I
stayed in Seattle for four years until my company transferred me to Dallas,
Texas. There I became that branch’s senior attorney. Mary was ready to make a
move, too, as she desired to be hired into a larger firm.”
“Mary’s
resume became one of the hottest for accountants and CFO’s in the country. Mary
desired another struggling company that would be ripe for the helping. Through
all the choices, she decided to become the CFO for a local shipping company.
She believed that within five years, she could boost the company into a
national competitor.”
I interrupt
David for a question that was gnawing at me. I ask, “What kind of life did you
two have outside of business?”
He responded, “Two successful
people as Mary and me, one can imagine our personal life. We both were early
risers and we both came home late. Although we each had Saturdays off, we
utilized this day to catch up on our work. The beneficial part was we both worked
from home and we both were able to be together. We used our Sundays to sleep
in. We also adopted this day to communicate on what was happening with the
other. Rarely were we able to coordinate our vacation time together. When we
were able to coordinate our schedules, we rented a cabin in the mountains and
just enjoy the scenery and each other’s undivided attention. When we couldn’t
coordinate our time off together, I would enjoy mine, hiking and partaking of
the outdoors, while Mary would enjoy hers fiddling around the house and
planting her flowers and tending her garden.”
“We both joined charitable
organizations. These organizations met during business hours, so they never
interfered with our personal time. Mary tried a few searching for the one that
would give her the most opportunity to fulfill her goal. I kept with the same
few with the only desire as to allow me some time to see my friends.”
David began
talking about his time in Texas saying, “When I entered the office in Dallas, I
knew that I was coming in as the senior attorney, but what I didn’t realize was
this office had never had their own staff of attorneys. I was constructing a
new branch of attorneys for my company. This was a great compliment and a real
motivator. I had the perk of hiring my own team without having to ask for
approval from the home office. Of course, the drawback was, shouldering the blame
for anything wrong that happened. But I, being “Growing” Ivey, intended to grow
the best team of attorneys the company ever had.”
“Mary was
able to unleash her talent on her new company. She learned the trucking
business within two months. Within six months, she had already doubled the
company’s profits. Within a year, she had a tight running ship, with her owners
loving her. Within two years, the company became the most profitable shipping
company in the region.”
“I did grow
the best attorney team. I showed the ability to attract young attorneys
graduating from college and creating them into seasoned pros within a couple of
years. There were two things I believed helped build a good attorney. One was spending
time with each one individually, supplying them with the best training and two,
was showing confidence in them, even when they made a mistake. Within a year, my
team was so valuable that they were often consulted on major cases with the
home office in Seattle, even though they had their own team of attorneys.”
“Mary and I
stayed in Dallas for five years until I was asked to open an attorney division in
Atlanta. By this time, Mary didn’t have to place her resume out. Many medium
sized companies were searching for someone to turn around their companies.
Mary’s name was always in the conversation. Many companies consistently called
her with attractive offers. When we were ready to move to Atlanta, Mary picked
the largest medium sized company she could find, understanding that this move
was going to be her next to the last move before her dream was to be realized.”
“We were both now in our late
thirties and very well off. If we wanted, both of us could retire and be very
comfortable. Mary and I lived comfortably,
yet were very frugal with our money. We bought quality items when we bought
cars, houses, and furniture, but were never extravagant. We rarely dined out
and vacations were usually paid for by our respective companies. But what drove
us both were our goals and the hope that we would make a difference.”
“I saw how hard my dad worked and
could not figure out his motivation. Considering my financial status at the
time, I had made more money than my dad ever did. My dad had only traveled out
of the state once. I had been to the best places in the United States, most of
Europe, the Mediterranean, Russia, and Australia. The excitement of the week for my dad was
going to church. In a normal week, I would stay at the best hotels and dined at
the finest restaurants all around the United States for business lunches. But
the most important detail was that my dad did not make a difference in the
world.”
“I just knew that if we pursued our goals they would
equal happiness and fulfillment. At that point, Mary and I felt life was going
as planned. I believe if you had asked anyone around, there were not too many
people who would have disagreed.”
“Atlanta was the most enjoyable
place we had lived so far. The weather was really nice. It never got too cold
yet you had the change of the season.”
“Also in Atlanta, there was a lot
of opportunity for business as the town was known as the capital of the
Southeast. The price of living was relatively low for a big city and both of us
truly enjoyed the hospitality of the Southern culture.”
“We stayed
in Atlanta for twelve years before I was courted to be hired as senior lawyer
for the largest oil company in the world. At only fifty, I had not only become
one of the youngest lawyers of a Fortune 500 company, but was on my way to
accomplishing my goal. The first part was getting the job. Now, the most
important part was to be able to affect change in the law.”
“Of course,
Mary was not going to have a problem finding work. The trucking company that
she had worked at before was willing to take her back again. But Mary knew that
the time had come for her to align herself with a larger company. This time she
was to use a different strategy. Why not sell herself to a company that wasn’t
in the Fortune 500, but dearly wanted to be.”
“With a little
searching, she found her dream job. She became the CFO of a video gaming
company that wasn’t even in the top 1,000. But Mary saw a lot of potential and
a lot of areas of improvement in the company. She was on her way to
accomplishing the first part of her goal. Her next search was finding an
international non-profit organization whose focus was helping cure starvation
in Africa.”
“In Dallas,
Mary and I were able to come close to accomplishing our goals. I was the senior
lawyer of a large corporation and because of the prominence of that position; I
was able to become a lobbyist for the oil companies. I was able to get many of
the laws changed that affected our business.”
“There was only one problem with
the laws that I was helping to change as a lobbyist. Although the laws affected business, the laws
didn’t affect mankind. If the laws did affect mankind, they affected them in
the wrong direction.”
“As for
Mary, she was eventually able to secure her corporation into the Fortune 500.
She also unearthed a national non-profit organization whose main goal was to
fight starvation in Africa. As she became more involved with the non-profit
group and researched the problem of starvation in Africa, she realized money
wasn’t the biggest hurdle. A big part of the problem in Africa was the power
and political struggle of each country. After a whole lot of soul searching she
came to the conclusion that she could not affect change the way she had
planned. Her influence would at most be minimal. Even if she could make a
difference politically or otherwise, the time required added up to more years
than she was able or willing to invest. She decided to pick and focus on one
country.”
“Mary
wasn’t able to solve the starvation problem in that country, either. She was ingenious
enough to aid many cities in that country to develop water and irrigation
systems. By aiding some cities to develop their own water and irrigation systems,
the communities were in a position to grow their own food.”
“What about
kids, David? You never did say whether you two had children,” I asked.
“Unfortunately for us, by the time
that we received our desired positions, Mary could no longer have children. We
had thought about adoption, but we both came to the conclusion that children would
not be a part of our lives,” he says mournfully.
David
pauses. He rests his elbows on the arms of the chair and places his fingertips
together, the left matching its right counterpart. He looks at his hands and
says, “As of today, I have been retired for two years. As for Mary, today is
her last day. The furniture that Todd and you picked up we do not need anymore.
Mary and I are preparing to hibernate in the woods of Alabama in a log cabin.
We no longer need cosmopolitan furniture, but only regular old furniture. No
longer will we partake of fancy lunches, lounge in expensive hotels, or be
invited as guest speakers in front of large groups.”
“We bought
the cabin about six months after I retired. Mary, in helping me wind down from
the busy schedule I use to keep, endowed me with the task of searching and
locating the right place and the right kind of house for us to retire in. After
much riding and flying to different places, and inspecting different tenements,
I exhaustively discovered a log cabin in the mountains of Sequoyah Falls of
Alabama. The place is a paradise for both of us. For me, Sequoyah Falls has
hiking trails and spelunking with nature spread everywhere. For Mary, the same
nature that I so love contains an encyclopedia of flowers that she won’t even
have to grow herself. A ten minute walk will get her to the best gardener’s
garden ever, Mother Nature.”
David
stands ups, lets out a groaning sound, as he stretches his legs. He then places
both hands on the small of his back and leans backward. He belts out another
groaning sound. After David divulges his story and as he is stretching, I look
at his shirt again and smile.
“So, your
shirt means that if you work hard and become a success that will equal enjoying
your life in your last days?” I say triumphantly.
“No,” he
said, “Not at all.” He paused for a long
time. His face grew solemn. I think he
is about to cry.
Then he looks up at me with a
mournful gaze and says, “The shirt means life equals a cabin in the woods.”
“What does that mean?” I ask
quizzically.
“It means as exhaustive as I have
worked and as successful as I thought I had become, all that I ended up with
was a cabin in the woods. I gave up everything to become successful. I gave up
raising a family, grandchildren, and even, great grandchildren along with the
memories that they bring, for a cabin in the woods.”
I gaze at him thoughtfully as he
pauses and looks up into the air.
He continues, “I thought my dad
didn’t make a difference, that he didn’t change the world. But he did. I am the
only one out of my brothers and sisters that did not raise a family. The change
that my dad made was in the way he raised us. He took the time with us;
encouraging us, teaching us, and loving us.”
David paused again, but this time
his head drooped. “In my life I have met prime ministers, presidents, and even
kings. I have shaken hands with famous actors and actresses, singers and
musicians. But these people did not affect my life or influence me in any
way. My dad was the one who laid my
soul’s foundation. He was my influence. He exemplified stability,
compatibility, and the most important thing, and that is love. My dad created a
difference. His legacy was love. In these days and times, there is no greater
difference one can make than expressing and living in love. If we all had the
love that my dad possessed and freely imparted this to each other, there would
be no starving people in Africa. If we all had the love my dad possessed, laws
would reflect protecting people instead of protecting profits,” David said.
Without even knowing that I was struggling
with the same desire to make a difference, David opened my eyes.
“My advices to you,” he said in
conclusion, “is for you to grab a good woman, find a decent job, and raise your
kids showing them love, love, and more love. How you love in this life is the
greatest mark a person can make.”
Someone knocks
at the door and David rises up to let them in. The person is from the thrift
store with the water and the coolant. I stare off in space as I take in
everything that David has just told me. After a moment, I realize how lucky I
am to have met David. He has lain to rest the question that would have taken a
lifetime for me to find out.
I leave my
address and ask David to write me. I am curious how he will enjoy his paradise.
I also want to be able to write him back and allow him to know that he made a
difference in my life.
Epilogue
I heard from David three years later. He wrote to tell me
that his wife had become sick last year and had recently died. He reinforced
what he had told me on that day when he wore the shirt that said “Equals a
Cabin in the Woods.”
In the
meantime, I did grab that good woman. I grabbed Grace, the very same day I
heard David’s story. She never knew what hit her that afternoon. Grace said
whatever it was that changed my mind, made her a happy woman. We are expecting
our first child in three months. If it’s a boy and my wife doesn’t mind, I
would like to call him David. If it’s a girl, I would like to name her Grace,
after my wife and also after the compassion God bestowed upon me in allowing me
to meet David “Growing” Ivey.
