The slow growth of wisdom

I do have one thing to add before I do one of Chad's famous disappearing act. Call it the slow growth of wisdom...


I had a recent experience getting cheated. I was filming a medical video shoot with a producer from one of the major medical textbook companies, and since I have no ability or desire to haggle for more pay, didn't push the compensation discussion pre-shoot. When the time finally came I got the question, "how much do we owe you?" Ugh, while some of you were born for this sort of discussion, I am not in my element with it...blame it on growing up without money (only thing i remember doing without i might add) but whatever, I balked. "What is the going rate for filming?" was the only thing that popped into my mind. Now this is where the used car salesman starts to salivate.


Let me just say that I had to be the school representative that let them in the building at 8 am and lock the door at the close of filming 12 hours later. Long day, but for in front of the camera time, I only logged about 6 hours.


"We pay our medical actors 40 bucks an hour" was the reply. Well for going through the motions of medical care on video this seemed fair so I took my 240 bucks and walked. Next day they needed more volunteers, so I recruited for them and found 2 recent nursing graduates who gladly volunteered to film. Well 2 hours later each of them came out with 240 bucks cash in their hand. Well it doesn't take a math whiz to find out the pay was a bit unequal. I was thrilled for them, but honestly a bit disturbed inside, as the producer had been fairly dishonest. I know what you may be thinking, maybe they did harder filming or haggled for the extra money, but both of these statements were not true. In fact, I would find out that almost everyone involved did much less time and work for a whole bunch more money.


OK, here is the point. I had a lot on my mind on the drive home. I recalled a story of a parent that gave one son a dollar and he was thrilled, and then gave the other two dollars, and the first kid through a tantrum. Well that was not going to be me...I would be happy with what I got and forget it. But I couldn't. I stewed thinking I had trusted someone and had been screwed. I should be more aggressive, and all those thoughts that serve to make you feel a little less small. But then it dawned on me...




I had done what came natural to me, having grown up with two extremely trusting and loving parents. I trusted someone and took what they said at face value. Now argue you may and say that I will never get ahead, but I thought of something that made this lesson completely worth it. I would rather overestimate 10 people, then underestimate 1.

Yeah the world is full of selfishness and people getting ahead by stepping on others. But I refuse to become like that. I would rather help someone else than help myself at their expense. Wasn't this the whole point that Jesus spent 33 years trying to show? So while my bank account may have been a little lighter, I believe God blesses us for our sincerity. And God can do much more with my 240, then I could do with a whole bunch more on my own. For that reminder, I think the cash sacrificed was well worth it.

p.s. This experience came the day after I heard a very cool story. Susana, my awesome colleague, told me her son had found a 20 dollar bill. He immediately saw the closest person to him, and walked up and said, "hey mister, did you lose this?" to which the man quickly said yes and took the money. Did he really lose it? Probably not, but if you are stuck on this than you are missing the point of both stories. Her son thought he did and his immediate reaction was to give it back. As bad as she wanted to say that to her son and grab the money for him, the lesson he had just learned about honesty was far to precious to give up for a measley 20 bucks. I am sure any parent would gladly give away 20 bucks to have their kid be that honest.