Tag: story

A Story About Joe – Family, Values & Principles

A Story About Joe - Family, Values & Principles

My Dad and Uncle’s first cousins grew up in close proximity to one another in Kossuth, MS. Their physical proximity was simply an outward representation of their relational closeness. And still is today.

Even though life has taken them to places like Nashville, TN; Sikeston, MO; Tyler, TX; Corinth, MS; and Kossuth, MS to name several. They all still stay in touch.

They gather together at least once a year. Texting and calling, too, to stay connected. And when they are gathered together under one roof, it’s like they’ve never missed a beat!

I’ve had the privilege to be in the room with them several times as an adult. It’s always a treasure. They are a fun group! They pick on each other, laugh, and share stories about the mischief of growing up. I love the insights I get about my Dad from their stories. I also enjoy hearing about my family, about where I come from, and about my roots.

They have a tradition of going to Canton, TX for the first Monday flea market in the fall. My Uncle has planned the once a year gathering for many years. They rent a big van, meet up in Corinth, all pile in, and make the ~8 hour trip to Canton for a weekend.

Read another story from their 1st Monday flea market trip here!

This flea market is something to experience. It’s acres upon acres of flea market finds. Jeff and I have even joined them a time or two.

Last May, I went home to Iuka, Mississippi for a quick weekend to celebrate my grandmother’s, Grannie King’s, birthday. She was turning 96 and my Dad and Uncle had summoned the family together to celebrate.

Once we were all settled into the living room after birthday food and cake, the story telling began again. One story has stuck with me since then.

Joe Garrett told a story about a time he was going to get a custom suit made. When the quote came back for the suit, it was going to cost him $750. He declined it and went on his way.

He explained to us in the room that is wasn’t because he couldn’t have afforded it. He replied in his easy going way, “I could buy each one of you a suit at that price.”

He went on to connect the principle of not buying the suit to a childhood memory. He had grown up poor. Anything he had was marked by hard labor, such as cutting ditch banks down by hand with a kaiser blade. He earned just twenty-five cents an hour under the hot sun for his work.

“When that’s where you came from, you know how hard and how long you have to work to buy a $750 suit. Then, you decide if its worth it or not.” Joe explained.

Those long days had shaped his view of money, work, and what really mattered. Spending that much on a suit simply didn’t sit right with the boy who once worked for quarters an hour.

This story impacted me. It’s such a stark contrast to today’s world. New gadgets, clothes, and luxuries are purchased almost without a second thought—Joe’s decision felt almost radical.

We live in a culture of consumerism, where society measures success by what we own. Many people have forgotten what a dollar really represents and how hard it was to earn. But Joe hadn’t forgotten. He carried those ditch-bank days with him, and they guided his choices.

Joe’s restraint wasn’t about deprivation. It was about wisdom. Remembering where he came from and those principles guiding him. He didn’t need possessions to prove his success. Joe was always the same person and a steady constant.

And as I remember him, I’m reflecting on my life and the principles that I have learned through hard times. Am I letting the world change me? Do I value what I already have, or am I always reaching for more? Do I pause to consider the story behind each dollar, or do I spend without thought? What I know about Joe’s life reminds me to slow down, to choose gratitude over more stuff, and to remember that true wealth has nothing to do with what we own.

Joe’s story is a reminder that true wealth isn’t about what we can buy, but about living with values that are priceless.

How Many Ways Can You Hear?

Is the title a little confusing? If you take a gander at the original poem below, you may understand a little more of what I mean. The title states ‘hear’; please note, I don’t mean listen. Listening and hearing are 2 very separate things in my book. Anyone can listen, but to really hear someone, that means to understand too. So many of us are misunderstood! And one of the very carnal desires of most is to be understood. Most of the time, people are telling us who they are and subtle characteristics about themselves through so many avenues other than speaking. How many ways are you open to people telling you who they are?

I came across the image above on pinterest a few years ago. After I read it, something struck me and I had to write. These are the results:

 

She’s Telling You Who She Is….

 In countless ways, she’s telling you who she is.

She’s telling you by working so hard. She’s goal oriented, driven, determined. She never backs down from a challenge. When she’s knocked down, she gets back up again to fight even harder. She’s telling you who she is.

She’s telling you through her fitness, pouring sweat, it’s not easy. Shaping a body that is like a canvas of a sculpter’s stone. She’s carving away the negativity, she’s bringing out the beauty, she’s bringing out the best. She’s telling you who she is.

She’s telling you who she is through words written in letters from the heart; from the soul. She’s opening up doors to show you her deepest feelings, her deepest disappointments, her deepest desires. It’s something she’s never shared before. Can you hear her? She’s telling you who she is.

She’s telling you who she is by the fighter inside. She’s made tough choices and done her very best. She’s still standing tall, she won’t back down, she’ll stare opposition in the face. She’ll climb the highest mountain and swim the deepest sea. She’ll fight the toughest, meanest fighter in the ring. Doing it all the while telling you who she is.

She’s telling you who she is by where she’s standing in her journey. Where she’s been and where she is now. Hard road, big choices and knowing she’ll make it. How many could say the same? How many have done the same? She’s telling you who she is.

She’s telling you who she is with her heart, a heart so strong to have survived so much. Following her heart, making choices the best she knows how. She’s telling you who she is.

She’s telling you who she is through her bravery. Standing alone and taking risks to discover her own. She’s not afraid to lose. She’s not afraid to let go, to feel pain and loss. She’s telling you who she is.

She’s telling you who she is through her eyes; through her speech. Her eyes are clear and with looking deeply enough, you will see there’s a big story to tell, a story worth hearing, a story that has been fought and earned in truth. She’ll tell you in her own way; in her own time with precise words and much wisdom beyond her years. She’s telling you who she is.

The questions that remain…are you big enough to know? Can you understand? Do you dare to know? All these things she will need answered to see if she can trust. If your eyes are blind and your ears are deaf, there is no investment and you will never know no matter the many ways she tells you who…. I ….. am ……

By Carlynn Rainey