Beautiful. Thank you. Needed that. Reminds me of a good & healthy marriage… going 40-strong… and then being a Wife & Mom … all the small & daily sacrifices & acts of love & labor, largely unseen & unnoticed & unrewarded. But I know I serve the Lord first & foremost.
I love your childhood story. I was seven when I got an afternoon paper round after school thanks to my maternal grandfather and his snooker pal Joe, who had a newsagent’s and tobacconist. I delivered London evening newspapers, magazines and comics to fifty or so houses after school and was how I learned to read. Joe and his wife, Ruth, a big big lady who directed things from a chair in a corner behind the counter was a force of nature. They were ruthless when it came to their expectations of their newspaper boys (no girls back then. This is the early-1950s I am telling you about) and those who under performed bit the dust very quickly. That lesson followed me into the workplace in 1959, when I became fifteen, by which time I was a socialist and joined a trade union at the end of my first working week. This gave me another reason to be thankful to the Lockmatters because they ensured I was good at every job I did. Being better than people’s expectations of you is about self, not them. I describe life as a ‘just is’ thing helped along by serendipity. One of my proud boasts is that I never gave any employer time free, whilst happily working 24/7 at times. I clawed all extra minutes back as time off. It is good advice you give but it should come with a caveat - not every one will want to give you a $1, let alone $20 when it comes to work!🐰
Tears. Thank you. Even though we don’t know each other…I feel seen. What a gift.
Awesome story + appreciate you sharing it
Beautiful. Thank you. Needed that. Reminds me of a good & healthy marriage… going 40-strong… and then being a Wife & Mom … all the small & daily sacrifices & acts of love & labor, largely unseen & unnoticed & unrewarded. But I know I serve the Lord first & foremost.
I love your childhood story. I was seven when I got an afternoon paper round after school thanks to my maternal grandfather and his snooker pal Joe, who had a newsagent’s and tobacconist. I delivered London evening newspapers, magazines and comics to fifty or so houses after school and was how I learned to read. Joe and his wife, Ruth, a big big lady who directed things from a chair in a corner behind the counter was a force of nature. They were ruthless when it came to their expectations of their newspaper boys (no girls back then. This is the early-1950s I am telling you about) and those who under performed bit the dust very quickly. That lesson followed me into the workplace in 1959, when I became fifteen, by which time I was a socialist and joined a trade union at the end of my first working week. This gave me another reason to be thankful to the Lockmatters because they ensured I was good at every job I did. Being better than people’s expectations of you is about self, not them. I describe life as a ‘just is’ thing helped along by serendipity. One of my proud boasts is that I never gave any employer time free, whilst happily working 24/7 at times. I clawed all extra minutes back as time off. It is good advice you give but it should come with a caveat - not every one will want to give you a $1, let alone $20 when it comes to work!🐰
I appreciate this important message. Like you, my wife and I make a point of rewarding excellent service. I hope we have inspired a few people.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful story. It is a gift to your readers.
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I understand your feelings ad words well
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