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 I have done many things in my life that I have enjoyed. I have farmed, taught for
numerous colleges and universities, practiced law, and gave of myself to community
service.
Each of those endeavors gave me a sense of joy, and my commitment and proven excellence was recognized, as I received many awards and honors along the way. Yes, I had a passion for and I was an outstanding educator, but there are levels of passion—and I have been blessed to find a higher passion.
However, with that said, nothing gives me more joy than working with a preneed or at-need family to build a memorial that is exceptional and distinctive to both their family and the legacy of their loved one.
Whether the purchase is small or large, I throw myself and my creativity, energy, talents and experience into the assignment, seeking to manufacture something truly special. That is an outstanding feeling and one that intensely touches the core of my being.
Some years ago, I traveled to Ecuador, the Rain Forest, and the Galapagos Islands with a tour group. One gentleman on the trip owned a chain of McDonalds Restaurants. He wore a McDonalds’ shirt, ring, watch, hat, jacket, necklace, and talked ceaselessly about McDonalds throughout the trip. He had monomania, and verborea as some would say, as he centered his life like a laser beam on one topic, talking endlessly about that one subject.
I laugh about that man now, because I understand his passion, his overwhelming love for something he is successful at, and in which he has poured his entire heart and soul. Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for love of it.”
I feel that way about monument building and memorialization. It is my passion, and I love my work. The rewards I receive from my zeal have the potency of a euphoric drug. Someone who has been through that infatuation stage knows the euphoric feeling of which I write.
For those who have studied Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, I feel that I am in the self-actualized state for the first time in my life. When I meet with my clients, I want them to hear my passion and to understand how my special experience and expertise will benefit them greatly, by the creation of a memorial that is truly special.
If you have to work, you might as well do something that gives you passion. Life is short, and you just might want to live each day with a passion knowing that you have fulfilled your life by what you have accomplished, and your legacy will live on forever. D. H. Lawrence wrote, “Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you've got to say, and say it hot.” I hope I have done that.
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