This story is something I have reflected on more often and more often as ‘the economy’ causes belts to tighten. It is a true story. Witnessed by two people, I am one.
It is about a story of tenacity without resources.
I don’t like the word Bum in my title, but it is very descriptive and applicable here.
Let me first say that this story involves two locations, my former home in Springville UT and the outdoor playground called Moab. The distance between these places per google maps is 186 miles. 186 miles on US 6, one of the top 10 dangerous highways in all of the USA.
With God as my witness (and my friend Jarom), I saw a homeless man riding a lawnmower on US 70 near the exit to Moab. It was the month of March.
Then a month later, I saw the same guy, on the same lawn mower at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon…186 MILES difference.
Think on this a bit. Whew. 186 miles at what 5 mph? Where did he get gas? where did he eat? sleep? and above all..Why?
Every new entrepreneur ‘loathes’ the fact that someone who has ‘been there done that’ gets funding without kissing ass or pitching 1,000 times. Even if they failed before.
The reason is quite simple. It takes a significant amount of personal tenacity to live and breath with your product. If you don’t quit, it says something about who you are as a person.
I wish I could find Lawnmower Bum, I’d hire him to be my VP of Something. Shame on me for not stopping and giving him a hand.