Saturday, March 26, 2011

Character


Yes I am still alive after the upset win of Kentucky over my beloved Ohio State. Why did they have to peak right now after we played so well all year?

Glad it is a basketball game and not my farm, you know what I mean?

These top teams all show character. Really good deep down character. That kind you would trust your life with. If we had the inside story on these players I bet we would learn a lot of things.

I have been labelled a character but I don't think that is what they were referring to. People would say he's a character because he acts so different from everyone else.

So what is character? Character is doing the right thing every day, day after day after day. It is who you are. You work hard, you play hard but you are always honest and fair.

We want that so much in every one we meet and every company we deal with. Tom Gill sells Chevrolet's on our local TV and calls his company a business of character. I would like to meet the man but I am afraid I would come home in a new Chevrolet I don't need right now.

Character is that ingrained spirit that shows what you are made of you just can't put your hands on, but you see it when it is displayed. A young farmer asked on AgTalk how he could get a low interest loan to buy a piece of ground.

I sure wish some character would have helped me do that 40 years ago but they didn't.
He got a lot of good responses.

The kind of character I respect is those who do the right thing when it hurts. That diligence, long suffering doing what you really think in your soul is the right thing to do. That would be my dad! I couldn't carry his shoes very long let alone walk in them. What a man, a person of character.

Dad and Linda and I would have commiserated over the Buckeye's loss last night, went to bed and went back to work the next morning. That team really has character and that is why we cheered for them.

Ed

2 comments:

  1. I guess I'm weird, I've never given a hoot for sports since all the guys I was in school with graduated.

    ReplyDelete
  2. No that does not make you wierd. Some people gamble on sports and lost their whole career, that is much worse than wierd.

    "So what is character? Character is doing the right thing every day, day after day after day. It is who you are. You work hard, you play hard but you are always honest and fair.

    Interesting Blog. I thought you might be interested in a Bankers Definition of Character.

    Friend had the banker out for the annual grand tour prior to being approved for his annual operating loan. Things were going and looking great and this farmer was justifiably proud. Had a new Tractor, some new hay equipment all paid for using the bank's equipment loan. He also had a new 1 ton PU 4 wheel drive and lots of digital gages.
    The next day he found out he would not be approved for the operating loan, For Lack of Character.
    The next day he found out the bank did not make operating loans to make monthly GMAC loans.
    Fortunately he got his old PU back and got loan.

    Another farmer, fellow who rented all his land. The local banker really liked doing business with him.
    He a good year better yet he had he had a great year.
    Bought & paid for new equipment. Bought his wife a new car and put in a new kitchen.
    Then he needed his usual operating loan.
    Got turned down, for lack of character.
    He had made enough money to not need an operating loan if he had been better able to handle prosperity.

    Both had a lesson on managing prosperity.

    We see it all the time. Fellow retires from industry with several million dollars in his retirement fund.
    Buys a new house, new vehicles, and in 5 years is mowing lawns to make ends meet.

    Not a bit different than the All Star ball player with a fantastic contract. 10 years later someone else is living in the Prairie Palace and he is working in a car wash.

    May you have a grand and glorious year. A perfect opportunity to demonstrate your good management of prosperity."

    ReplyDelete