Garrett knew what it meant to sacrifice. For the last 20 years he had worked his way up from programmer to CEO of a large software company on the verge of cracking the Fortune 500. Doing so took a lot of hard work and sacrifice. There were the night classes he attended after work to secure his MBA. The 50, 60, and eventually 70 hour work weeks. The multiple years he went without taking vacations. He even cut his honeymoon a few days short to fly home and close an important business deal. Yes, if anyone knew anything about sacrifice it was Garrett.
Now, his sacrifices were paying off. A multi-millionaire, Garrett’s two children Lily and Jack attended the best schools. His wife Kristen got the money she needed to pursue her interior decorating business. And his whole family enjoyed a life of luxury, including a vacation home in Nantucket they would visit every summer, where they would cruise around the island in their 40 foot sailboat.
His lifestyle could be tough on the family at times. Jack was often disappointed that Dad could only make one or two of his basketball games a season, and Lily was crushed that she had to attend the Father/Daughter dance with her grandfather, instead of her Dad. But every time he felt the slightest bit of guilt, he remembered that they too were the beneficiaries of his sacrifice, and would surely understand some day.
One night, Garrett took some Japanese investors out to dinner. They recommended a sushi restaurant known for their wide variety of Sake. Of course, they made him try them all. By the end of the night Garrett was really feeling the effects. Fortunately, the restaurant was only a few miles from his home, so surely he could make it that far.
Unfortunately for Garrett, about a mile of the way back home he was met with some unexpected company. Out of the darkness emerged a set of flashing lights, followed by sirens. Apparently driving 20 in a 40 and crossing the middle line multiple times was a cause for concern. Garrett tried his best to maintain his composure and mask his condition, but after stumbling over his words and fumbling for his registration the officer knew exactly what was going on. Garrett was brought into custody, and after posting bail, was given his day in court.
Garret had the best lawyers money could buy. They pleaded his case as a first time offender without any prior traffic violations. He was no threat to the public and it was a one-time mistake. He was in no way prepared to face jail time. Garrett tensed up as the judge read the Guilty verdict and waited anxiously for the sentence. “Mr. Williams, your crimes will be punishable by a $5,000 fine, and I hereby sentence you to 100 hours of community service.”
Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. He was a free man. But then he thought about his time. It was tight enough as it was. He spoke up. “Excuse me your honor. I wonder if we could perhaps negotiate my sentence.”
“Mr Williams,” the judge barked. “This is a court of law. There is no negotiation. It is a proper punishment for the crime. You are lucky I went easy on you.”
“I know your honor, and I appreciate it,” he replied. But I am the CEO of a company, and I just feel that instead of the 100 hours of community service, you might be better served by a rather large donation to the community program. Or what if I were to hire someone to do the hours for me?”
The judge grew terse. “Mr. Williams, I am this close to holding you in contempt. You wealthy are all the same, thinking you can buy your way out of your punishment. But I assure you Mr. Williams, your punishment is not for any monetary gain. It is your rehabilitation, so you can learn the consequences of your actions. Now good day sir.”
“I’m sorry your honor. Thank you,” he stuttered.
Garrett was connected with a community service coordinator who gave him his assignment. He was to work at a local soup kitchen, preparing and serving meals. He could pick his own days and hours, so long as he reached 100 over the course of three months.
When Garrett broke the news to Lily and Jack he was surprised by their reaction. “Can I join you?” asked Lily. “Me too,” asked Jack. “It will be fun.”
“I don’t see why not,” Garrett replied. “But why would you want to?”
“We miss spending time with you Dad. It would be great to catch up.”
When Garrett and his kids arrived at the kitchen they were put to work preparing meals. Garrett used to love to cook. He even went to school for a year for culinary arts before abandoning his dream for a more lucrative career. Garrett was placed in charge of making the mashed potatoes.
“Great,” where is the peeler?” he asked. They pointed him to a stack of boxes. “We use instant here.” Garrett was disappointed. In addition to the potatoes they were serving stewing beef and creamed corn. Garrett was so embarrassed by the look and quality of the food that he cringed at the thought of serving it. But as the 150 plus people lined up to get their chance at a hot meal they were surprisingly grateful. “Hey guys, we’ve got beef today?” one of the patrons shouted. “I’d hardly call this beef,” Garrett muttered under his breath.
The next several meals were much the same. Hot dogs and beans. Chicken nuggets and fries. Spaghetti and frozen meatballs. There were no fresh vegetables. No quality meats. Yet the people truly seemed to appreciate what they had. There was one man who always stopped by on his way to work, not his first job, but his 2nd. While Garrett’s 70 hours got him a life of luxury, this man’s 70 hours left him dependent on the generosity of others.
The more hours Garrett put in, the more questions he asked. Nearly all of their food was donated, most from local stores nearing expiration dates. They made do with whatever they could get and improvised where needed. There were even days when they had to resort to just serving noodles. As attendance rose, there was a lot of begging and negotiating, but they did what they needed to do. At that moment, Garrett realized that perhaps this was his real chance to make a difference. He requested the opportunity to take full ownership of one meal a week, and they granted it.
That first day Garrett was filled with youthful exuberance. He went to the market and proudly picked the freshest vegetables, seasonings, sirloin steaks, and several large bags of potatoes. Kristen joined him and her and the kids were put to real work, peeling and chopping potatoes, preparing salads, and manning the large grilling surface. Garrett taught them all about seasoning and tenderizing, and for the first time they felt they were learning valuable lessons from their father. They chatted about school, sports, and yes even high school crushes. They were coming together as a family, and in doing so they were all becoming better for it.
That day, when the partons saw the meal set before them, their eyes widened with joy. Steak, oven roasted potatoes, fresh carrots and asparagus, and yes, a side salad with real fresh greens. Of all the deals he ever closed, nothing came close to the feeling of satisfaction he felt by bringing hope and joy to this group of people.
Weeks came and went, and Garrett’s sentence of community service had long since expired. But he maintained ownership of his weekly day of service, and volunteered other times when he could. And though he couldn’t make every meal, he provided weekly donations and corporate sponsorships to help the team afford healthier meals every day as their numbers continued to rise. After cursing his fate several months earlier, Garrett was now grateful for that police officer who stopped him that night. Not only did he potentially save his life, but he gave him something back that he had been missing—his family.
For years, Garrett was proud of the sacrifices he had made to pave the life he enjoyed. But his time at the soup kitchen helped him to realize what true sacrifice really meant. The man working two jobs to scrape by and support his family. The volunteers who worked countless hours to serve meals. The facilitators who often kicked in their own money when times were tough to ensure everyone had a warm meal. They were the real heroes. They had the real movement. And he was just proud to be a part of it.