Hello World,
It is Friday the 15th and the beginning of the Quarterly Area 15 Meeting in Boca Raton. If you remember, at the last quarterly in January, Steve K., got a little “swept up” in the process of “sharing the responsibility” for this quarterly. Of course I didn’t want to do it. I couldn’t imagine doing it long distance. I’m not so keen on doing it here in Naples, much less from across the state. So we bowed out and now we’ll see how that district does it. I’m just glad we aren’t involved.
Today is Saturday. Our speaker Ben was amazing last night. I’m so happy I came over this time on Friday. He finished his talk by reciting the “Master’s Hand”. Both Steve Kirby and I looked at each other and thought about Steve E.
Steve & his violin
I’m going to go and try to find that poem. Jerry E read it at Steve’s Memorial:
The Touch of the Master’s Hand
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried,
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?”
“A dollar, a dollar. Then two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?””Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three…” But no,
From the room, far back, a grey-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loosened strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet,
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: “What am I bid for the old violin?”
And he held it up with the bow.
“A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice,
And going and gone,” said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
“We do not quite understand.
What changed its worth?” Swift came the reply:
“The touch of the Master’s hand.”
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd
Much like the old violin.
A “mess of pottage,” a glass of wine,
A game — and he travels on.
He is “going” once, and “going” twice,
He’s “going” and almost “gone.”
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand.
Mouse and I are sharing a room and then we can have 2 nights. She gets one night and I get a night paid for by District so we can have 2 nights. Jerry E drove us so that was good too. Roy drove over on his Harley. He said he didn’t get rained on so that was good for him. We have Garrett this weekend who is Roy’s sponsee. He is just 60 days in the program. He is really “needy” and loves Roy. Roy says he reminds him of how he was early in the program.
So now I’ll be going to my Grapevine Committee meeting at 9AM. I’ll be happy to go there. Roy tells me that Peter will be giving us some more GV Gift Certificates. We’ll see!
I think I’ll continue with this later. I’ll keep this going this weekend. Bye for now!
