Manager's Column

Authored by: Richard Fowler

There is an old Spanish parable about a man, a boy, and a donkey. They were all three walking down a dusty road on a hot summer day. They overheard some passerby say, "Look at those foolish people walking when at least one of them could be riding the donkey." Not wanting to appear foolish, the father climbed up on the donkey. It was not long until another onlooker remarked, "Look at that inconsiderate man making that poor little boy walk." Upon hearing this, the father and son exchanged places, and still they did not satisfy everyone. Someone said, "Look at that young man riding, and the old man has to walk in the heat of the day." The father then got on the donkey with the son. Riding only a short distance, a passerby said, "Look at that poor donkey having to carry two people at once." So the man and the boy tied the donkey's legs to a pole and proceeded to carry the donkey. Someone exclaimed, "Look at those foolish people carrying that donkey when they could all just walk."

There is no way to please all people in this life. Our goal as co-op employees is to give the best possible service at the least possible cost, while maintaining our integrity, our patience, our persistence, our sincerity, our empathy, and above all out humility. 

If we are doing that, then we are walking life's road as we should.