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 Nova Scotia back country. As I was
not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and,
being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions.
I
finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral
guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere
in sight. There were only the diggers and crew
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.
Apparently the vault lid was already covered. 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 out my heart and soul for this
man with no family and friends. I played like I've
never played before for this homeless man. And as
I played "Amazing Grace", the workers began to
weep They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When
I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and started
for my car. Though my head was hung low, my heart
was full.
As
I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the
workers say, "I never seen anything like that
before, and I've been putting in septic tanks for
twenty years"
Apparently,
I'm still lost....it's a man thing.
