'74 *Oark the KIND of PERSON You Like to Be Around
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'74 *oark INSTRUCTOR • was the kind of person you like to be around—good clean boy, no swearing, no The KIND of PERSON drinking, no smoking, good company, high ideals. We fell in together. He is somewhere studying to be a doctor." You should have seen his surprise when You Like to Be Around I told him I was in close contact with his friend, who is now Dr. Vernon By T. R. FLAIZ, M.D. Thomas, and that if present plans ma- terialized, he would in a few months be in an overseas mission field carrying out a very rugged assignment. E WERE standing on the rough for kodachromes. Amateur photography Wground walk on the ridge facing was an easy avenue to conversation, which "That's just what I would expect of fabulous Mount Rushmore in the Black turned to the Seventh-day Adventist mis- that young man. By the way, can you tell Hills of South Dakota. We had taken sion work with which we are so closely me how to reach hirii? Maybe I'll be able several photographs of the mountain; and associated. to see him while out West." were remarking on the consummate skill "Yes, I know something about you Ad- What an excellent testimony to the high of the great Gutzon Borglum, who carved ventists," volunteered one of the young esteem in which sensible, loyal, and yet these colossal figures of Washington, Jef- men. "I was in the Navy several years, adventurous and resourceful Christian ferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Lincoln. and there was a young man in our unit youth are held. They are not less but Efforts to capture on film the remarkable named Thomas. Let me see, what was more respected for their loyalty to Chris- personalities so skillfully portrayed in his first name? Oh, yes, Vernon—Vernon tian standards. Their very lives are a wit- stone, led to conversation with two fine Thomas. You see, when in the service we ness to their faith, and all agree that they young men from Ohio, one wielding an generally pick out our associates according are the kind of persons you like to be 8 mm. movie camera, the other a still to our ideas of conduct. Well, this Thomas around. Courtesy B. R. Squibb and Sons The Rushmore Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota VOL. 99, NO. 42 OCTOBER 16, 1951 I DON'T want to be president of this every medical student can be the greatest life will be furnished with inferior furni- I organization. Neither do I want to be doctor, not every law student can be the ture while the choice materials we might treasurer. I'll be satisfied to remain its sec- greatest lawyer, not every writer can mold have used will have vanished into the retary so long as I'm a good secretary and public opinion and sway the destinies of whichness of whither—that bottomless can live comfortably on my salary." his country. But there are the common, void where good intentions that are never The young man who made this surpris- everyday folks—the prescription fillers, the translated into concrete actions lie buried. ing declaration has plenty of ambition, law clerks; and the copy readers and re- Oh, let's be careful about the work we do plenty of ability, and a good education. He write men at the city desks of great metro- today, and build with our best! answered the amazed, questioning looks politan newspapers who do the necessary Eleen is almost as charming at home as on the faces of the friends to whom he ground tasks so that the greatest men can she is at a gay party. But just wait until had been speaking by saying that he sees do their work. some morning when she wakens with a no reason to attempt to do two men's work The young man who does not aspire grouch! Then the whole family literally in an effort to climb up the ladder of to be president of his organization realizes "stand around," and heave a sigh of re- achievement, perhaps arrive at the top all this. Instead of shooting at the moon lief when she finally is off to school. They breathless and beaten out, and to have and risking frustration and disappoint- are expected to overlook her temporary missed all the joys and satisfactions of ment, he is content to live along on a sane unpleasantness—and they do. But Eleen is living each today to the very best of his level, satisfied "so long as I do my job building a poor foundation that she will ability. He mentioned that he knows well today!" be ashamed of someday. dozens of young men who have their eyes "I'll never spend time doing all that on the boss's job. And they slight today's stupid homework," she sputtered to her duties that are their responsibility and The story is told of an amateur cabinet- best friend. "I can't remember anything waste their time dreaming about what they maker who saved lengths of choice wood very long anyway, so I cram just before will do when their pay check has been for years, against the time when he would examinations. Maybe my marks aren't so doubled, and they can "run the whole make a really fine piece of furniture. good as they would be if I studied hard all 4 works." Meanwhile the opportunities that Everything he built was constructed of semester, but I get by." are in hand slip away and they lose the odds and ends of flawed, cheap wood. The Yes, she does get by, but someday she joy and satisfaction of having put their perfect pieces of cherry, maple, and walnut may look back at her wasted opportunities best into today's task. were carefully hoarded for future use. and wish she had established good study Then the young man went on to say that In time the pile of fine wood outgrew habits in her early years. A poor educa- he does not favor mediocrity—not at all. his workshop, and the man bought lumber tional foundation is as unsatisfactory as an Nor does he believe one should settle down and hired carpenters to build an addition unstable foundation in a house. No in complacency. His point is that doing to house his treasures. But before he got amount of time and labor put into the rest one's present job well with relaxed mind— around to using his hoarded lumber his of the structure can ever compensate for a the best kind of mind for doing the best company sent him to a distant city to take faulty foundation. work—is worth while. And he pointed out over the management of a new factory. For instance, there's Fred, who longs to that "a man's gift maketh room for him, In vain he searched for a home in his be a doctor. He did not dream that the and bringeth him before great men." new location where there was room to decision not to allow his studies to inter- Therefore the best fuel to feed the fires of store his treasured wood, but none could fere with his academy education would ambition is to do one's best at whatever be bought or rented. Then the purchaser discredit him for entrance to medical task is his today. of his old home offered to buy his lumber school when it came to the final checkup. for a fraction of its worth, and in despera- He had not built a good solid mental tion he sold it and moved. foundation in the todays that were his in Last July I was privileged to take quite Ever after that, whenever he came upon high school years, and of course his col- a long airplane journey, and everywhere a fine piece of wood, he took it home and lege building was not of the best either. So the planes on which I traveled landed or made something as soon as possible. But today, frustrated and a little bitter at "the took off I was impressed with the number as the years passed he never ceased to look blow fate has dealt him"—so he says—he of men who made up the ground crew. at the furniture he had made from in- is trying to decide what other line of life- Theirs were humble tasks more or less, ferior wood in the days when he was work to take up. but if they had not been done with dis- hoarding his choice supply, and regret that patch, precision, and painstaking care, the it had not been built of his best. But now pilots, stewards, and passengers never it was forever too late. The choice, hard, So, friend o' mine, do your level best could have taken to the air. beautifully grained boards were gone. today! Build with the best materials you Just so, not every clerk, secretary, or So it is with life. We too have a variety can find. God has given you an abundance accountant can be president of his com- of building materials—the perfect, the of such materials. Use them! pany, but without their efficient, faithful cheap, the average. The choice is for us work the president would be helpless and to make. We must pray for wisdom to the organization could not function. Not choose wisely and well, or our house of ( Vol. 99, No. 42 THE YOUTH'S INSTRUCTOR, October 16, 1951 One Year, $4.75 Published by the Seventh day Adventists.