THE LAST PERSON?

I’ve told this story over the years to several people, mostly, if not always, friends, and I still find it coming to mind quite regularly. It took several years after this incident happened for me to finally get the message.

It’s been 46 years since Reverend Robert L. Durr, a man I knew well, pastor of Anchorage Bible Missionary Church, walked into a store where I worked and showed me a handwritten invoice. He asked if I was the one who had written it, undoubtedly knowing the answer beforehand, because the initials MH were penciled in a square block for store employees.

Telling Robert that it was me, and believing I’d sold him the wrong car part, he asked if we could step outside, where he began telling me the unusual story behind it.

“Mike, the man who purchased these items, was a friend and a member of my church. You were most likely the last person he talked to on this earth, as he died of a massive heart attack while riding his bicycle back home from your store.”

Pastor Robert Durr went on to tell me that the fellow recently had bypass surgery. The main reason for Robert dropping by that day was to see if it was okay for his widow and some family members to talk to me. I said that was fine. The deceased person’s name is no longer remembered, but I believe it was Bud, and that’s what I’ll use here.

That afternoon, the family wanted to know if Bud had complained of any physical ailments when he stopped by that tragic day, and what he had said. I vaguely remembered things, mostly recalling the problem he was having with his vehicle. I said that if he was having any physical ailments, Bud never mentioned them to me. The group of mourners thanked me for my time and left.

Afterwards, it sank in that I was the last person this customer had spoken to, and I wondered what I’d said to him. I’m sure it was just automotive advice, of which I had some knowledge. The incident left a profound effect on me, so much so that a few years later, I wrote a story about it and sent it to “Guidepost” magazine. Unfortunately, they never published the article.

I have to admit that after that incident, there’ve been occasions when I said stuff to folks that I wish I could take back. This was always after a verbal tiff of some kind, or someone did something I didn’t like. I guess you could say I’ve matured a bit in the area of having a sharp tongue. There’ve still been a few times, though—when I slipped—this always related to politics.

Each day, if you’re like me, you run into strangers and chat for a few seconds before going your own way. I try to keep things positive in these encounters, always remembering that the main thing I want for them to remember about me is something positive. First impressions are lasting.

Pastor Durr told me after the funeral that there was a specific reason Bud saw me and not one of the other employees. Robert mentioned that he told his friend he needed to talk to Mike because he knows his stuff, and he’s a nice guy. That made me feel extremely good, and I’ve never forgotten the compliment, as they don’t come often enough.

These days, I try to keep that life lesson in perspective, hopefully, by always leaving a good impression on strangers I meet along the way. I know that Pastor Durr would be happy with me, wherever he is.