Mule

This is George. He retired today.

If you got your Mule between 2012-2018 George was most likely the last one here in Saginaw to have a hand in getting you your new music tool. I would haul the boxes downstairs (or upstairs out of the basement) and across the dark parking lot at 7:00am and drive them over to George so I didn’t cause too long of a line.

George skis and we would chat about his trips or what punk show he went to see in Chicago with his daughter who works as a police officer there as he typed. “Wow... South Africa, cool.” I’d tell him about what was happening with the guitars and show him pictures. Everyone used his name when they left, ‘See ya next time, George.” The line could be 10 people deep with someone was giving him the business about how their passport hasn’t come in yet and he had the same half smile while patiently informing them what the business actually was. They’d simmer down.

In 2018 I started using another shipper but I still used the post office any time we had something other than a guitar to ship just to talk to George. Today I took something over and George told me it was his last day. We talked about his ski trip plans and took this picture.

I got to see George’s equanimity but you didn’t so that’s the important part of the story for you - his mental calmness in difficult situations. Sometimes another worker would be there and would see me carrying a big box and immediately start getting anxious and trying to figure out why it wouldn’t ship. Or customers would get agitated at the workers for something they had no control over and things got heated. If George was getting yelled at he didn’t change. George is not a machine - he feels the same things we do in those situations. But his calm response changed people. I saw it happen. It’s a thing that actually happens. He gave me an example I needed.

Nothing changes when things are rosy, and no change can be made when we lose empathy- “seeing our feelings in other people”- and can’t confront our emotions to respond with the other person in mind. The opportunity to make the biggest possible impact comes when we feel the most justified to not be the one to make it.

Matt