I think all of us at one time or another have run into a situation where life is not what it appears to be.
I am reminded of a story I heard a while back about an older man named John. He was hired as a Greeter at a Walmart store. It turned out that John was very good at his job. He welcomed each customer who entered the store with a big smile, a hearty handshake, a sincere thank you for coming in and, if the person had time, he would even tell him a quick little joke.
John loved people and they loved him right back. He was very popular and customers looked forward to seeing him. John only had one problem. He had trouble getting to work on time. His shift was due to start at 9 a.m. But, John would not arrive until 9:10…or 9:20…or 9:25. Other employees began to complain. Finally, one day John’s supervisor called him into his office. He let John know in no uncertain terms that his lateness could not be tolerated, that he had to make more of an effort to get to work on time.
Well, John, being the nice man that he was, apologized and promised to do better. The Supervisor, who liked John, just like everyone else, said he was glad to hear that. As John turned to the door to leave… the supervisor’s curiosity got the best of him. “John”, he said, “I’d just like to know in your prior job what did the people say when you were late.
John paused a moment, looked down at the floor, then drew himself into the tallest position he could manage and replied with just the right amount of pride… “Well, they usually said… ‘Good Morning, Admiral! Can I get you a cup of coffee.”
Dear Reader, be proud of yourself.