I think many of us have a stash of treasures from various stages in our life, and which we resurrect, from time to time, only to discover that there are gems among them that we have totally forgotten, but which contain profound lessons that have changed the course of our lives.
Today, I was going through my treasure trove of wisdom I have saved over a great many years. Following is one of the most profound and moving of my entire lifetime, given to me at a time when I had a pretty good opinion of my abilities. When it was given to me I was taken aback but, upon reflection, it was and has remained one of the most profound and valued lessons anyone ever cared enough to share with me. I would be remiss if I did not pass it on to my readers.
"SOMETIME"
Sometime, when you’re feeling important,
Sometime, when your ego’s in bloom,
Sometime, when you take it for granted,
You’re the best qualified in the room,
Sometime, when you feel that your going,
Would leave an unfillable hole,
Just follow this simple instruction,
And see how it humbles your soul.
Take a bucket and fill it with water,
Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
Pull it out and the hole that’s remaining,
Is a measure of how you’ll be missed.
You may splash all you please when you enter,
You may stir up the water galore,
But stop, and you’ll find in a minute,
That it looks quite the same as before.
The moral in this quaint example,
Is do just the best you can,
Be proud of yourself but remember,
There is no indispensable man.
--- Anonymous
Given to me by Petty Officer First Class, “Shady” Lane
U.S. Submarine Base #128
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
- 1956
A treasured reminder of the value of personal humility in life, and
A cardinal lesson I hope I have never forgotten.
- April 2013
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