[Ron61]

THE BAGPIPER’s TALE: a Personal Testimony*

As a bagpiper, I’m often called upon to play at weddings, military
events, and funerals. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to
play at a grave side service for a homeless man. The man had no
family or friends, so the service was set at the county pauper’s
cemetery in the Kentucky back woods.

I was not familiar with the backwoods and soon found myself lost.
Being a typical man I didn’t stop to ask for directions. I finally
arrived an hour late – the staff from the funeral home was long gone
and the hearse was nowhere in sight.

There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch.
I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the
side of the grave and looked down. The vault lid was already in
place. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started to play….

The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I
played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends.
I played like I’ve never played before for this homeless man.

And as I played ‘Amazing Grace,’ the workers began to weep.

They wept. I wept. We all wept together.

When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car.

Though my head hung low my heart was full.

As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, “I
never seen nothin’ like that before and I’ve been putting in septic
tanks for twenty years.”