Sarah+J’s+Final+AmEx+2013+Speech

=Title of Speech=

Humility

=Text of Speech= Let me tell you the story about my great grandfather who we all called Pop. Pop was just an ordinary man with solid values. He grew up with his parents and four siblings in Pelham, New York. One event in particular that shaped their family and Pop’s values was the Great Depression. His family never took any handouts, but instead did whatever it took to survive that difficult time. His mother took in laundry for money, they rented out rooms to those who could afford it but also took in those who had nowhere else to go. He and is brothers did odd jobs. His family traded goods for services, grew their own food, raised chickens; whatever it took to make it. While they lived very frugally, they never went without and never turned anyone away who needed help.

Pop met his future wife Beatrice when she was seventeen. Beatrice’s father had abandoned her family, leaving them with no means to care for themselves. They were very poor and with little education the only job her mother could get was working for a minister cleaning his office and making his lunch. The two of them lived in a tiny little apartment given to them through public assistance. When Pop learned of their situation he would leave bags of groceries by their door. On one of these trips, around Christmas time, he saw in their apartment a bare Christmas tree leaning up against the wall; no ornaments hanging on the tree and no presents sitting underneath. It had been given to them by the Salvation Army. However instead of the tree bringing the joyful spirit of Christmas to their home, it was a sad reminder that there would be no Christmas that year. When Pop saw this, he went out to the store and brought them back a box of new ornaments and tinsel for their tree.

Eventually Beatrice and Pop got married. They moved to a new large home in New Rochelle, New York. Pop happily insisted that Beatrice’s mother live with them. It was never a question in his mind. They didn’t have much, but Pop did what it took to take care of his wife, mother-in-law, and eventually three children. He had his priorities in order; he took care of his family first, those in need second, and himself last. During these years, Pop worked as a truck driver for Knickerbocker Beer. It was a good steady job. Although this job meant that he had to be on the road a lot, away from his family, nothing gave him more satisfaction than being able to provide for his family. (Fun Fact: when my Pop was on the road, he became friends with Babe Ruth and they would meet up for the occasional sandwich).

My pop lived by the belief that you should never take anything you did not work for. When the school started the “Free Lunch Program” he refused to have his children partake, believing there is always a way to feed your own children. He was able to buy his eldest daughter, my Grandmother, a turquoise ’57 Chevy convertible for her sixteenth birthday by working after hours and on weekends at the dealership, in exchange. He was able to pay cash for her college education. He always lived within his means, saved what he could, and was content with what he had. My family always said that nothing brought him greater joy than to make his children and grandchildren happy. He would often hand them his credit card (the only one he ever had) and send them off to have a nice meal while he was content making himself a burger and sitting in his tiny kitchen and remarking to whomever was there to hear, “who has it better than I?”

My Pop was a big believer in self-sufficiency and never buying more than you needed. He was recycling before it was popular. He was reusing and repurposing cans and jars, screws and nails, broomsticks and wires, whatever he could. He could make almost anything out of the items he already possessed. If something broke or needed repair, he didn’t wait around for someone else to do it. He didn’t rush out to buy a new one, he simply fixed it himself!

Even in his nineties, when he had trouble walking, my Great Aunt Joan found him on the roof of the garage one day. After scolding him for being up there, he scoffed that some shingles needed to be replaced! “What’s the big deal?” he would always say.

Pop was also a news junkie. He read the papers every day, and watched the evening news every night. It was important to him to be aware and informed about what was going on in the world. He paid close attention to the happenings of our government. And though he had very strong opinions about what he learned, even when he disagreed with what was going on, he still believed in showing respect for the office of the President and our government; showing patriotism and love for this country which has so much to offer.

Nothing ever stopped him from doing for himself or for others. He was diagnosed with Prostate cancer in his early sixties and later diagnosed with diabetes. Despite everyone’s concern for him, he simply forged ahead saying, “what’s the big deal?”

It is ironic that he was a man who believed you can always overcome any difficulty or obstacle by “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” and working hard. Yet he was always the first to help any neighbor, stranger, family member who did not have his fortitude and were unable to help themselves.

For the later years of his life, Pop and Beatrice moved to his family’s small peaceful summer home (which he and his father had built by themselves many years before) right on the Hudson River. Even in his old age he continued to help others. When the elderly who lived near him (although he would be considered one of the elderly by our standards) could no longer get out to do their grocery shopping, or get to the bank or the post office or do minor home repairs, Pop would do these things for them, never expecting anything in return.

There was a man “down on his luck” as Pop would say, who would stop by Pop’s home every once in a while. Pop would always give him some money and food. He did these things not for attention or to be recognized but because it was in his eyes just the right thing to do.

At his modest funeral, my family was surprised to see all who came to honor him from the small town in which he lived out his final years. They spoke of his generosity, of the many ways he gave. The postmistress told how he would insist on picking up her car and washing it for her. Others spoke of how he would drive them to their doctors appointments or the store for them when they were unable; how he was always there to lend a helping hand. It was humbling for my family to hear these things, many of which they’d never known about.

Pop was a man of true character who gave not to be recognized or even rewarded. C.S. Lewis said that the true sign of integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. I believe my great grandfather, our Pop, exemplified this virtue in every way.

So my great grandfather did not cure cancer and he did not put a man on the moon. But the life he lived and the lessons it teaches are worthy of being recognized. In the America I live and grow old in, I wish for more people living lives of humility and self-sacrifice. I wish to see people stop complaining about all the hardships of life or the perceived unfairness of our government and see how fortunate they are to live in the land of opportunity. I wish to see people taking advantage of the opportunities and freedoms our country provides but not abuse them. I wish to see people who when they do get knocked down, pick themselves back up and continue to work to better their lives. I wish to see people who, when they see others in need, help them in any way possible. I wish to see more people like my Pop, who was a giver and a helper. Who lived his life knowing that something could always be done to provide for one’s family. Who lived his life with the understanding that not everyone was fortunate enough to be able provide for themselves. Who lived his life being content with what he had and finding happiness in being able to give better for his loved ones. And who lived his life giving everything of himself to help others.

=Cite Your Sources=