The Lucky Flock of Geese

Chuck Carpenter, owner of Washington Roofing and Insulation, once told me a story about when he was a young kid back from the military. Since it is Memorial Day, it seemed like a good time to share.

He and his buddy had returned home and were offered an opportunity to go goose hunting with a guide for free. The guide wanted to pay respects for the young men, thank them for the service they provided the country, and take them on a hunt.

The guide was excellent, calling to the birds over Cheyenne Bottoms in Great Bend, Kansas, bringing them closer to the boys. There were many geese coming in and the guide told them to get ready. When the time came the birds were so close that they could have jumped up to tackle them. The guide said, "NOW" and chuck and his buddy started to shoot.

After the dust settled, the two military boys anxiously looked around to count their prizes.

Not a bird had been dropped.

After the group got back home, the guide looked at the sheepish crew and said, "Do you want to know why you didn't bring down any geese?"

Chuck and his friend were very embarrassed. Excellent shooters, they couldn't understand what happened.

"It is because you didn't focus, boys. You shot randomly. You need to pick one bird at a time, and focus."

Chuck learned a very big lesson that day. He told me it has helped him through life and is one of the reasons Washington Roofing and Insulation is successful. Each job, each client . . .  gets his ultimate attention . . . his focus. And who would have thought that it all boiled down to a flock of lucky geese and a professional hunting guide.