~ Anonymous
Earlier this week I was graciously invited to attend lunch and
present to the Ellisville Lions Club. I always enjoy getting out and meeting
with our civic clubs and reminding them of all the wonderful things happening
in our community. (Shameless plug, I'm available if you need someone to speak
for your civic club.) I love to hear it when they say, "Wow! I had no idea
we had that much going for us".
As I was preparing to give my usual updates of business openings,
upcoming events and reports of how our leadership programs and other
initiatives are doing, I ran across a leadership story that I had once read. It
is a story I use sometimes with our leadership programs to help them remember
it is better to take a moment and understand the whole situation before offering
solutions; something we all need to be
reminded of from time to time.
(As I told the Lions, I hope you all can get the meaning of the
message, but hope none of you can truly relate.)The story goes something like
this:
One day a little old and very cute couple walked into
the local fast food restaurant. The little old man went up to the counter and
ordered their food. He brought back to the table a hamburger, a small amount of
fries and a drink.
Carefully he sliced the hamburger in two and then neatly
divided the fries into two small piles. He sipped the drink and then passed it
to his wife. She took a sip and passed it back.
A younger man at a nearby table observed this couple
and began to feel sorry for them. He offered to buy them another meal, but the
old man respectfully declined saying that they were used to sharing everything.
The old man began to eat his food while his wife sat
still, not eating. The young man continued to watch the old couple feeling
there was something he should be doing to help. As the old man finished his
half of the burger and fries, the old lady still had not started eating hers.
The young man couldn't take it anymore. He asked,
"Ma'am, why aren't you eating?" The old lady looked up and politely
said, pointing to the old man, "I'm waiting on the teeth."
I hope you're not waiting on your teeth! You might
have the same initial reaction my wife did when I shared this story with her.
She laughed and then with a disgusted look on her face said, "Eww,
Gross!"
How many times are things not as they appear?
Sometimes we are eager to help. We want to help people when they are hurting.
We want to do good for others. Sometimes we have to understand what the whole
situation is before we do anything. Sometimes, no matter how effective our
solution, if the people we are helping don't have their teeth, our help is no
good to them.
I urge you to help others. I encourage you, as we
enter this time of Thanksgiving and season of joyful giving, that you reach out
to those in need. Give and rejoice freely. Give with a generous heart, but
realize that you must seek to understand other's situation before you can
effectively help them change their situation.
However you give back this holiday season and into the
New Year do so with understanding and love. If you do, I know our community
will be better off because of it!
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving filled with
friends, family and loved ones as you travel over the river and
through the woods!
Larkin
This story is
from Mike Rogers at teamworkandleadership
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