Overwhelming Good

My great-grandpa was a go-getter.  I have distinct memories of visiting him as a child, and he would regale my brother and I with the stories of his adventures.  Unsurprisingly, like most Mexican family stories, the tales would grow significantly larger over time (I don’t know a single Hispanic family who doesn’t have *someone* claiming some sort of royal heritage within), but regardless of the exaggerations, I always found insight in the story of my great-grandpa Flores.  Without further ado…

Great-grandpa was in his youth when he decided to emigrate from Mexico to the United States.  He hopped on a train (the story was always happily ambiguous as to whether he was a stowaway or verified passenger) heading north to the USA.  Halfway there, his train was stopped by none other than Pancho Villa, the notorious Mexican Revolutionary general for resupply.  Great-grandpa, being an industrious and capable young man, brought out his coronet and was recruited by the man himself to be Pancho Villa’s trumpeter.  After traveling with his mobile army for a few days, great-grandpa bid his farewell, and continued on to the United States.

Once in the U.S., great-grandpa found himself in need of work.  As a young Mexican immigrant, he found himself first washing dishes at a restaurant.  At the restaurant, great-grandpa watched the cooks make all manner of dishes and exciting foods.  He realized that he was missing out on the experiments of the taste buds, being creative and masterfully designing new combinations of food… And so, he taught himself to be a cook.  While other immigrants stayed in their static jobs, great-grandpa taught himself new trades and kept moving.  He became a cook, and enjoyed it immensely….except for the lack of human interaction.  As he made dishes to be brought out to the customers, he realized he was missing the human element, the stories that the waiters would come into the kitchen with during every shift.  So, deciding on his next challenge, great-grandpa became a server.  He loved interacting with his customers and talking with them to learn more about their lives and new opportunities in the world.

However, being a server permanently was not in the cards for great-grandpa.  One day, as he was performing his serving duties, he twisted his back quite uncomfortably, and was in severe pain as he tried to continue his work.  One of his customers came up to him, and identified himself as something he called a “chiropractor”.  Great-grandpa, always eager to learn about new ideas, allowed the chiropractor to take a look at his back.  After one adjustment, great-grandpa felt tremendously better… and so, of course, he decided to become a chiropractor.  He received his license, and practiced as a chiropractor for the rest of his working life.

Great-grandpa’s story reminds me a lot of something we’ve been talking about in Probity recently: the difference between finding solutions to existing problems and trying to find problems to fit existing “solutions”.  Many startups seem to have a “golden idea” which they try to be the first to bring to market.  Our approach is quite different; we identify problems in our own lives and the lives of others, then work to try to find the best solution to the aforementioned issue.  It leaves us with an open mind to really evaluate more possibilities.

Great-grandpa would definitely agree.  I’m realizing more and more that Probity’s someplace that I belong; it’s a constant pursuit of the best truth.  And as great-grandpa was always fond of saying, “Kno-wledge!  Kno-wledge is the key to life!”