A nursing home visit, some shopping, and an intelligent worker The Monastery is about 15 miles from a town called Covington. It is a nice place and has a beautiful town square. We do not need to go there often Just for the occasional doctor appointment near the Hospital. It is starting to grow now and is slowly losing its small-town ambiance. Progress for small towns does come with a heavy price. Currently, we have one of our brothers in one of the rehab centers/nursing homes. It has very high ratings and we are hopeful that while there he will improve. I went there yesterday for my first visit to the center. He is in a small room and shares it with another man. A nice enough chap, who greeted me warmly when I came in to visit my brother Monk. One chore I was told to take care of during my visit was getting a fan because he found the room too warm. He is one of those who prefers cold to warm, or hot days. So, it was decided that I should get the type of fan that could be clasped on his bed rails. I talked with him for a while, and when he started to show fatigue, I told him that I was going to go to the local Walmart to get his fan and would be back in about an hour. I like Walmart, and I find the people who shop there very interesting. It is a colorful place to shop, and I feel right at home. I do not go to Walmart often but have never been disappointed when needing to ship there. I got the fan, and when looking for a lane to check out, found that all the self-serve lines were very long. They had one lane only that had a cashier. So, I got in line. There were only two shoppers in front of me, and both of them had full carts. The check-out lady was elderly. Probably nearer to 70 than 60. As I was waiting, I started to notice her, how she worked, related to the customers, and the speed at which she worked. There was nothing slow about her, and as she worked, she did it with great skill and good humor. The customers seemed to enjoy her. When my turn came, and after she rang me up for the fan, I paused and asked her name. It was Mary. I introduced myself. Then, I told her that one of thing things I like to watch is intelligent people doing a good job. So, I told her that I enjoyed seeing how she worked and showed a great deal of intelligence in her work, speed, and how she related to her customers. She seemed surprised that I would say such a thing. So, she responded: “Thank you for the compliment”. “Well,”, I responded, “what I am saying is true, so I am not sure it is a compliment, at least not in the way I look upon that word”. So, we shook hands and I left. I believe that all jobs are important, even the so-called low-paying jobs. I do not doubt that if she were to quit, she would be missed not only by the customers but by her employers. I hope that they show her the respect that she deserves. So, I returned to the rehab and was able to put the fan in place. My brother was very happy to have the cooling breeze reduce his discomfort. It was a nice trip, and the community is praying for “Our brother who is away”. We will take turns visiting him and letting him know that we are praying for him, miss him, and love him.-Br.MD
Brother Mark, It is uplifting to hear your views on such things as Walmart and ordinary people. You see beauty in everyday things, very inspiring. May God continue to bless you and your community. Amen
