3. Here is a true story about
what I learned from a
Miccosukee Indian named Roy.
(This tribe in Florida prefers to be referred to as "Indians" )
4.
5.
6.
7. A few days later Roy arrived at my
house to give me an estimate. I told
him where I wanted it built and what
size I wanted. Roy said the price was
$1,900 dollars....I was impressed as
I expected it to cost more.
8. I told Roy I would contact him when I was
ready to proceed and he left. A few weeks
later I called Roy and told him that I was
ready tohave him come out and build my
Tiki Hut. I have worked with housing
contractors many times in the past and I
expected that Roy would require a 50%
deposit to get started with the work.
When I asked Roy about the deposit his
reply was " I will come to your home and
build the Tiki Hut,and when I am finished
you can pay me."
10. In all my years of dealing with
contractors and sub-contractors
I had never heard anybody say this.
They always required a deposit and
usually wanted cash. Roy told me he
would be out in a week to build the Tiki Hut.
11.
12. When they were just about finished
I noticed that Roy was sitting at the
top of the Tiki Hut....he was looking
off into the distance as if he was looking
back to another time many years earlier.
I took a photo of Roy as he rested on
the top of my new Tiki Hut.
13. Before Roy had arrived that day I had
gone to the bank to cash a check for
$1,900 dollars. I placed 19 crisp $100
dollar bills in a plain white envelope.
Now that the work was complete, I
shook Roy's hand and thanked him
for doing such a great job.
14. I reached into my pocket and pulled
out the envelope and handed it to Roy.
Roy looked me in the eye and placed
the envelope in his pocket...he never
once looked to see what was inside the
envelope, he said goodbye, got into his
truck and drove away.
15. Think about this story,
read it to your children,
Roy's example is one to be
followed for the rest of our lives.