There is a gentle man who comes through the neighborhood where I live. He does this each year in the fall, like clockwork, offering to clean
leaves out of gutters and do minor patches on roofs. His prices are quite reasonable, and I have used his service often, as has my mother.
Physically, this gentle man looks worn. His face is craggy and not-so-handsome. He’s missing a few teeth. The clothes he wears are nothing to speak of. And, not mincing words, I assume he is rather poor.
Often times this gentle man is accompanied by a gentle woman who, physically and energetically, matches him. Their old station wagon, ladder tied on top, by the way, “matches them” as well.
I write of this gentle man because today he came by, offering his gutter-cleaning services.
Each time I see him, he touches my heart. He is rough to my eyes. Yet my experience with him is soft. He approaches me, as a potential
customer, with respect and appreciation for the opportunity to be of service, and he expresses simple and easy gratitude for the payment he receives. He doesn’t “sell me” or invoke fear of potentially clogged gutters causing bigger problems if I don’t hire him today. He is clear, direct and concise. And he is incredibly gentle.
This year, some bigger-scale gutter work was required in the summer and so his services were not needed today. We did ask him if he’d be
coming back in a few weeks (as he always does), and asked if he would please contact us then.
In short, this gentle man reminds me of the type of person I want to be in business, and in Life: and that is, a gentle woman.
