CARL

Carl was a retired pharmaceutical salesman. He wore his hair in a tight crew-cut like he had done during his days in the Corps. He was slight man with glasses and an ever-present bow tie. You get the picture.

No, you probably don't. To really get the picture of Carl, you didn't need to see him, you needed to experience him. I first got "Carled" the day after I met him.

I met Carl at a talk I was giving. The following day the newspaper had a write-up about the event, and my name was mentioned. The next day I received by mail the article, laminated on a piece of cardboard, with a note of congratulations from Carl. Such acknowledgment is not an everyday occurrence in my life.

From that day on, every time my name was mentioned anywhere in print the next day a note would come on a laminated piece of cardboard. If the publicity was not in print, Carl just sent a note.

Why did he do that?

Carl in his retirement took up public speaking. He called his company, People and Pride. His purpose was to help people feel good about themselves.

Carl was passionate about his purpose and approached his business differently than many people. For example, his business card was cut from construction paper. The card had a pasted on picture of Carl taken at one of those "go in the booth and get four pictures for a dollar" kind of places. He was also different in another significantly more substantial way. Carl really tried to relate to people.

Carl and I spoke often about why most people never responded when he called them or sent them something in the mail. Carl thought responding to another's gesture was common courtesy. I wonder where he could have come up with a strange idea like that?

Carl didn't do what he did for money; he did it because it fit his purpose. He spent hours scouring newspapers, finding stories, laminating them and mailing them off to give the recipients tangible evidence of why they should feel good about themselves.

Carl's endeavors were not about getting a reply. But a reply would have been nice.

I knew Carl the last three years of his life. Unless he had a death bed conversion, Carl moved on to the big stage in the sky being confused and a bit hurt over the lack of response to his reaching out. He wouldn't be human if he weren't a bit hurt, but Carl didn't have to be confused. The answer is obvious.

The people Carl thought enough of to spend time, energy, money and a piece of himself on were too busy to respond.

Carl didn't mean business, status or power to others. He was just a little guy with a bow tie and a homemade business card reaching out to touch other human beings.

I wonder where he could have come up with a strange idea like that?


Lesson: If you're too busy for people, you're much too busy.