The Old Engineer and the Hammer

I didn't understand this 19 years ago...

A Graybeard engineer retired and a few weeks later the Big Machine broke down, which was essential to his old company’s revenue.

The Manager couldn’t get the machine to work again so the company called in Graybeard as an independent consultant.

Graybeard agrees. He walks into the factory, takes a look at the Big Machine, grabs a sledgehammer, and whacks the machine once whereupon…

…the machine starts right up.

Graybeard leaves and the company is making money again.

The next day Manager receives a bill from Graybeard for $10,000.

The manager is furious at the price and refuses to pay.

Graybeard assures him that it’s a fair price.

The manager retorts that if it’s a fair price Graybeard won’t mind itemizing the bill.

Graybeard agrees that this is a fair request and complies.

The new, itemized bill reads….

Hammer:  $9

Knowing where to hit the machine with the hammer: $9,991

original picture and parable

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This parable has been told many times with only minor variations.

The lesson is always the same.

Experience is almost priceless.

Something I wouldn’t have thought about 20 years ago as I started my military career. All I thought about was traveling the world and having adventures. Indiana Jones wasn’t going to hold a candle to my life story!

Fast forward to now and I still feel like my adventure is just beginning.

I am here to share my life experience with you.

If you enjoy traveling to historic locations, hearing stories about those locations, and finding others that like the same…you are in the right place.

Welcome to The History Road Trip.

Chuck Norris once shattered the space-time continuum. He felt so bad, he put it back together.