INTEGRITY THROUGH TRUST AND CARING

When I was a freshman at College, I needed to send my oboe through the mail to have some repair work done. I was really worried about mailing it; my first oboe teacher had sold the instrument to me, and I didn’t want it to be damaged. A friend told me that I could insure it through UPS, and directed me to a small neighborhood business called “Touchette” that did UPS insurance. I took the bus downtown, oboe in my lap, and when I arrived at the store the proprietor was very kind and reassuring. He helped me package the oboe as well as possible, and was able to insure it. However, the total cost was $30, and I had only brought $20 with me. My heart sank at the thought of squeezing another bus ride into my hectic schedule when he said. “That’s OK, I trust you. Just give me your name and number, and pay me the rest when you get the chance.” I was astounded. Who had heard of a business owner just volunteering to trust someone like that? That act of kindness stuck in my memory and still reminds me that integrity is built through trust and caring for one another’s needs.