ncguy6

In 1964 when i was a young man 22 years old i went to work my first day in an
automobile factory in Detroit.Over 4,000 people worked there,and i felt like i
was the only one there who didn't know what to do.Just when i had made up my
mind that it was more than i could handle,and that i was gonna forget it and go
home.A well dressed middle aged man smoking a pipe walked up to me.He said hi
my name is Bill.You scared he asked..I'm terrified i answered.He said don't
worry about it i'll teach you the ropes.For the next 3 months he came around
every day and talked to me.Thanks to Bill i got setteled in on the job.I
retired 30 years later.I believe that one of the reasons i became a pipe smoker
is that i wanted to be like Bill and several other pipe smokers who have been
big influences in my life.There's just something special about the character of
pipe smokers.I do what i can to influence the next generation to become pipe
smokers.It seems to be getting harder and harder to find folks who are
interested in it though.I hope that some where along the way i've been a Bill
to someone.

NCguy

drblues

I do not know you from adam except your posts. I read every single one
of them. There is no doubt in my mind that you have played a larger
influence on many more lives then you can imagine. I think you are a
terrific human being.
T

"Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the light, even though for the moment you do not see"

ipad

<snip>

What is special is that those, already, *men of character* happened to be
pipe smokers who probably would have influenced your life one way or the
other. The fact that they smoked a pipe, provided you with an extra bonus.

Conversely had they been irritating, irascible, or arrogant and self
indulgent, I don't think their pipe smoking would have phased you in the
least. At least not in the positive sense.

Nizo

buck12ga

In article <20031104130040.13111.00000180@mb-m03.aol.com>, ncguy6@aol.com
says...


Great story! Larry,I'm sure you've been a Bill to somone along the
way.Larry can't we get you to run for some political office somewhere ?
The country could sure use someone with an attitude like your's.

buck

buddy springman

Nice story, Larry, thanks for sharing it. None of us really know the
impact we have on the future.

Buddy

tstarr1863

Dear Larry,

That is a very nice story. It is a great memory for you to have and
for you to share with us. It certainly gives one something to think
about, not unlike the question asked some months ago, "Why Do You
Smoke a Pipe?". I agree with one of the other comments, that Bill was
a "person of character" first, who took some time to care about you
and support you at a critical time, who happened to smoke a pipe. Many
of us have similar youthfull memories of our fathers, uncles or older
friends. While we enjoyed the smell of their pipes and tobaccos and
the aroma of their smoke, we more likley appreciated and benefited
from their caring about us and mentoring us even more.

It seems that many pipe smokers have a similar personality trait. They
often are confident, caring people, willing to help others in a new
situation, a common endevour, hobby or job. I think over the years
people have come to expect that sort of personality from pipe smokers.
When I began to look for information on pipe smoking, I know that
everyone I talked to over email or at the local shops could not have
been more helpful.

I am a civil war reenactor and one of the important parts of my
"impression" is my pipe. This is because the person that I portray was
always seen smoking his pipe. He was an 28 year old teacher who
recuited a group of men from around his home town area in Maine and
took them off to a war more terrible than anyone could have imagined.
He hated to see his friends suffer and die. But they shared a common
bond of dedication and determination to save the Union. He taught them
their first basic lessons in "soldiering" and they learned together.
As the recruiter for our modern day group, I have similar training
responsibilities. The men that I recruit have similar dedication and
determination to portray the life of the civil war union soldier.

He was a well-educated school teacher turned soldier. Due to
neccesity, he became a strong and confident volunteer officer over the
course of 3 years. But he never stopped caring about his men and the
families that they had left behind. So when I smoke my pipe during
reenactments, I hope that this is one of the "impressions" that I give
to my fellow reenactors and to the public, of a man who cares about
the Union and the men with whom I serve. It also keeps me thinking
about how aweful it would really be to lead men that you knew and
cared about into battle.

So in a way we in the pipe smoking fraternity have an image to uphold.
Right now I am doing my best to help out three newbies to the
fraternity with tips on affordable, quality pipes and available
informational resouces. The same as folks did for me. I know that lots
of us are doing the same thing.

Thanks Larry for sharing this story and making me think.

E. Spear

buck12ga

In article <761a2967.0311051216.3fd98fd1@posting.google.com>,
tstarr1863@hotmail.com says...

E. Spear,you have provided us with additional food for thought,thanks.I'd
also like to thank you for helping out the newbies,we could use a few
recruits.

buck

chantymanjack1

Was it Joshua Lawrence Chamberlan?

Jack

schweinhund420

Then you must have a huge handlebar moustache?20th Maine,red Maltese
cross divisional insignia?I was at the battlefield last year for the
first time,what an impression it made after reading all those books
about itover the years.
Steve

pipeleaf

Larry,

That was a most impressive tale of how we influence and are influenced by
others. I know the feeling greatly through some older members of my family.

No matter who you are or where you are, someone is watching you. Be sure that
what they see is worth remembering.

Yours,
C.L. Ingram
.....virtue and riches seldom settle on one man.
--Robert Burton

The privilege of absurdity; to which no living creature is subject but man
only.
--Thomas Hobbes