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Her454
03-01-2006, 09:02 AM
To all my family & friends I want to THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME......
A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door.
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
"Jack, did you hear me?"
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.
"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.
"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said "He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.
Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly.
"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.
"The box is gone," he said
"What box?" Mom asked.
"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life" A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.
Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:
"Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."
"The thing he valued most was...my time"
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.
"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.
"Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away,"

Rattle Can Lou
03-01-2006, 09:11 AM
A couple of saturday's ago I was watching CMT videos while I was waiting for my wife to get ready. The video by Brooks and Dunn came on about the young boy and the old black man that lived down the road. I sat there and watched it and started crying like a 10 year old. I think everybody had a person in their life that they spent time with besides their parents. That video and this story took me there again...Thanks for the 10 minute throwback.

Her454
03-01-2006, 09:13 AM
A couple of saturday's ago I was watching CMT videos while I was waiting for my wife to get ready. The video by Brooks and Dunn came on about the young boy and the old black man that lived down the road. I sat there and watched it and started crying like a 10 year old. I think everybody had a person in their life that they spent time with besides their parents. That video and this story took me there again...Thanks for the 10 minute throwback.
Your welcome, but what are doing out of the V'Drive cave? ;)

Rattle Can Lou
03-01-2006, 09:26 AM
I don't know to be honest with ya...slow day at work I guess. There's always something coool in this section. I feel I'm vocal enough over there. You guys don't need my type over here....I feel like a traitor over here cause I really don't dig these bohemeth boats that so many of you have..."there I said it". I'm out

Her454
03-01-2006, 09:31 AM
I don't know to be honest with ya...slow day at work I guess. There's always something coool in this section. I feel I'm vocal enough over there. You guys don't need my type over here....I feel like a traitor over here cause I really don't dig these bohemeth boats that so many of you have..."there I said it". I'm out
LMAO.......... Thats cuz those bohemeth boats sink OUR boats ... ;)

Tom Brown
03-01-2006, 11:22 AM
I just read the story.
..... there's three minutes of my life I'll never get back. :mad:

Some Kind Of Monster
03-01-2006, 12:26 PM
I just read the story.
..... there's three minutes of my life I'll never get back. :mad:
LMAO true.

Her454
03-01-2006, 12:30 PM
I just read the story.
..... there's three minutes of my life I'll never get back. :mad:
You should have finished the 8th grade and it wouldn't have taken 3 whole minutes.

Tom Brown
03-01-2006, 12:40 PM
You should have finished the 8th grade and it wouldn't have taken 3 whole minutes.
In a perfect world, I would have..... but who has that kind of time?

superdave013
03-01-2006, 12:59 PM
That was the guy that lived next door to me. Fred Linker was his name. Uncle Fred to me even though he was not my uncle. He repaired clocks and even made then from scratch. He taught me so much as I was the kid always hanging around. Now that I look back he always had the time.

Jbb
03-01-2006, 01:01 PM
Brown had a "special" older man who lived next door and spent a lot of time with him...he's due for parole in 2010

Tom Brown
03-01-2006, 01:10 PM
Brown had a "special" older man who lived next door and spent a lot of time with him...he's due for parole in 2010
He's looking forward to his release so he can return to his job as a broom handle service man.