Guest Column: Where is wisdom to be found in the world?

The Handyman’s Invoice or the knowing where to tap story has gone through a few iterations since about the beginning of the 20th century. A popular version found on the internet’s Bing Co-pilot search goes like this:

“In 1920, at one of Henry Ford’s River Rouge plant, a massive generator stopped working, stopping production. None of the engineers on staff figured out how to fix it.  Ford asked Charles Proteus Steinmetz to take a look.

“He was known as a seasoned electrical engineer. When he showed up, he asked for a notebook, pencil and a cot.

“After two days of listening to the generator, he marked a spot with chalk and told the engineer to remove the panel, unwind the coil and take out 16 turns of the wire.

“They did, and the generator resumed working. The bill Ford received from Steinmetz was for $10,000, which is about $166,000 to $171,000 today.  Ford paid for it.

“The itemized invoice listed $1 for marking the spot with chalk and $9,999 on knowing where to mark.”

If wisdom (the quality of knowledge, experience and the judgment of what to do with these qualities when situation arises) and knowledge (facts, skills and information acquired in a specific focus) were to have a race, it would be unfair.

Wisdom always wins. Applying brain knowledge with timing, listening, feeling and sensing adds up to intelligence and in biblical times the old men who would sit at the front gate, available to ask questions to assist.

Women had their front gate too, it was in the home and the well where sharing of experience was common.

Early on in my chaplaincy, I sat at the bedside of many who were years older than me.  They were experiencing diagnosis, suffering and even death.  What they would share, so many of them (for wisdom is not a guarantee) is their experiences, who they love and what life was like.

They taught me that there really is a season for everything.  The American push to advancement is tempered through the seasons of wisdom.

For those who have older  people available to you —  listen.

Ask them about relationships, fixing issues, how it was done back in the day.  If you want a plethora of opinions, visit a veterans home (Bemidji, Fergus Falls, Montevideo, Preston, Luverne, Hastings, Minneapolis, St. Paul and Silver Bay) or any other skilled facility and volunteer.

Through the interactions you too will start to not sweat the small stuff and learn you are not the only one who has gone through trials and tribulations and that even the older generations are willing to learn how to use a cellphone. Laughing can become a true joy.

Kelley Ackerman is a member of Brewster Post 464 and a past Department of Minnesota chaplain.