I leaned in closer to hear clearly the answer to a question posed to a young bartender at World of Beer in Glendale. Without hesitation, the 24-year-old Florida native cracked, “There are too many hippies in Denver.”
I recoiled in shock and fear. “Do you mean, like, old man hippies, like me?” A smile spread wide across her face. “No. I’m talking about kids my age. They come to Colorado and just hang out downtown and don’t even look for work. Bums me out.”
Rendered of blame but curious about her statement, I responded with, “Why don’t they want to work?” The Art Institute of Colorado student, who moved to the Centennial State with her boyfriend, pulled stylish glasses from her head and said, “I have no clue.”
We then dived into her background a bit. Your humble scribe was tasting some Belgium beers on a scorching hot Mile High City Saturday. Earlier in the day, this aging jock had presented a Pep Talk at one of Victory client’s, The Shack Restaurant. A blessed father of two wonderful kids had the opportunity to encourage others to achieve goals and overcome challenges. A simple dude from Missouri was in a grateful and celebratory mood.
“I like photography,” the pleasant woman offered. “Especially advertising and marketing photography. That’s what I want to do someday. I’m bartending right now to help pay for school.”
We fisted one another across the bar while continuing. “That’s why I have trouble with some of the young kids these days. They don’t seem to want to work for much.” Humm.
Upon pondering the engaging young woman’s statement, I contributed, “You know, it’s not just the young kids, I know some guys who sit around during the day drawing welfare checks and selling drugs on the side. They don’t seem to want to work for much either.”
We diverted back to talking beers. I was smitten with learning more about the one quenching my thirst when thought of an admired man crashed into the cranium.
Luther Gulick.
He’s the founder of Camp Fire. The physical education instructor, back in the early 1900‘s, observed the landscape. He saw young boys, in droves, heading off to summer camps and all kinds of healthy and productive activities designed to build character and other good stuff.
The Hawaii native wondered, “What are we doing for the girls?” An organization, known then as Camp Fire Girls, was born. It’s still alive and well a century later. A man who also became a basketball Hall of Fame official, founded the Kansas City-based youth development organization around two primary goals: encourage young girls to realize the importance of physical fitness and learning skills outside the home. Camp Fire became coed in the 1970’s.
Remember, this was the early 1900‘s and most folks thought women needed two skills: running a home and caring for kids. Gulick challenged that narrow focus behind three simple, but hard to achieve fundamentals: work hard, make healthy choices and show love and respect for one another.
In the past, I was honored to served as executive director of Camp Fire’s Central Rockies Council. We worked with schools and housing communities in providing quality after-school programs for kids who didn’t have many options other than wandering the neighborhood after the dismissal school-bell rang.
I love Gulick’s “work hard, make healthy choices and show love and respect for another” philosophy. Heather the bartender was demonstrating it. She was working hard in school and was a very pleasant World of Beer employee. She was working hard, making healthy choices and showing me a little love with these small tastings of various Belgium lighter ales on what the establishment had proclaimed, “Belgium Independence Day.”
Work hard. Make healthy choices. Demonstrate love and respect toward others. Sounds real darn simple doesn’t it? We outta be able to do that, right? Well, that darn thing called life gets in the way.
Spouses end marriages. Bosses end jobs. Illness or injury ends dreams. The calamities that strike have a wide-range of origins. Often come out of left field and leave us wondering, “What the heck is going on around here?”
A buddy's loved ones threw a birthday bash for him recently. He's preparing for surgery to remove cancer from behind his eyes in the coming days. Stuff happens. The big question becomes, “How do we deal with life's lemons?
We should take Gulick’s advice to heart. Stay focused on working hard, making healthy choices and showing love and respect for another.
It was time to go home. While bidding Heather adieu, I exalted her with, “I admire your attitude.” It had taken me to Luther Gulick. A great man who preached a simple, but challenging, philosophy that, personal opinion, seems to encourage us to achieve goals and overcome challenges.
It sure seems to be working for Heather. What the heck, this week, maybe it’ll work for us too.
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