A couple of weeks ago through Facebook I got back in touch with an old friend, Argel Looney. Argel worked for many, many years for Wal-Mart Shoe Division and before that, Hutchinson Shoes out of Fort Smith, AR. Not many people know that for many of Wal-Mart’s beginning years, Hutchinson Shoes operated the shoe department. They leased the space and paid us a percentage of their sales. Bill Hutchinson, the owner, sold his company to Mr. Sam and Wal-Mart along the way, at some point. I can not tell you the date but I am sure Argel could. I met and worked with Mr. Bill many times over the years. I loved talking to him and learning. After he sold to Wal-Mart, he stayed around several years to continue to run shoes and to be a major stock holder and board member of Wal-Mart. I was at the shoe division headquarters one morning for a meeting. When I came in Mr. Bill was at the front greeting his workers as they came in for the day. It was raining that day so Mr. Bill would get his umbrella and walk out to the ladies cars as they came in and would walk them under his umbrella into the building. He was very careful to be a gentleman as he would often get the rain on him to keep the lady dry. I asked one of the men at the front if Mr. Bill did that often. He said just every time it rained. I thought to myself how different Mr. Bill was than I. Just a few days earlier I had been at the front of my store while it was raining. I had laughed at my workers as they came in wet. I felt horrible. Mr. Bill set an example of service to me a young manager that I never forgot. He did it without knowing it or frankly caring. He did it because it was the right thing to do. Every day we live, we are an example to someone. What kind of example are we? Do we curse out the same lips we say we love God? Are our actions selfish? Do we freely give of ourselves to others in need? We need to do the right thing, like Mr. Bill, not because people are watching but because it is the right thing. By the way people are watching closely if you claim to be a Christian.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 14:10:14 +0000