When the Penny Drops

Greetings from Invercargill, New Zealand, where I am speaking in towns in the southern part of the South Island. 'When the penny drops' is a New Zealand expression that refers to the moment when something shifts from knowledge to understanding, prompting us to act. I wrote this article years ago. Many of you commented on this article, so I am updating it. Sometimes it takes two reads to move us to action. 

Years ago, I posted some quotes on Facebook that resonated with my reading audience. Here’s the first quote: "I need to get back in shape, but I'm kind of waiting to see if the world is going to end before I put any real effort in." Sound familiar? Here's another post: "I spend a lot of time holding the refrigerator door open, looking for answers." And this quote hit the mark: "They say we can have gatherings with up to eight people without issues. I don't even know eight people without issues." 

It's common, and even normal, to feel this way. May I propose an alternative? Start your day with an "I get to" mindset instead of an "I have to" mindset. "I get to go to work. I get to clean the house. I get to serve others." Whatever it may be. Often, we see our opportunities as burdens. But what causes our tension is frequently a blessing in disguise if we can recognize it. 

John Philips wrote, “The psychologist says, ‘Look within.’ The opportunist says, ‘Look around.’ The optimist says, ‘Look ahead.’ The pessimist says, ‘Look out!’ God says, ‘Look up!’” Patience is the art of finding something positive to do in the meantime. Perspective is how we see things. Think about this. All of us live under the same sky, but not all of us see the same horizon. In other words, we rarely see what we are not looking for. Is it “I have to," or “I get to?”

I love real-life stories that motivate others. Here's an example of someone you probably have never heard of who did something extraordinary. This couple found a way to serve in the meantime, driven by a mindset of “I get to,” not "I have to." This invisible couple raised a seven-year-old boy who became known worldwide. Being less visible doesn't make you less valuable. 

Here is the life story shared by a couple and a boy. And the rest is history.   

A grandson of enslaved people, a boy was born in a poor neighborhood in New Orleans known as the "Back of Town." His father abandoned the family when the child was an infant. His mother became a prostitute, and the boy and his sister lived with their grandmother.

Early in life, he proved to be talented at music, and with three other kids, he sang in the streets of New Orleans. His first earnings were coins that people threw at them.

With the last name Karnofsky, a Jewish family that had emigrated from Lithuania to the United States felt pity for the 7-year-old boy and took him into their home. At first, they gave the boy ‘work’ around their house. But the 'work' was just an excuse to feed the hungry child. He stayed there and slept in this Jewish family's home, where they treated him with kindness and tenderness for the first time in his life.

When he went to bed, Mrs. Karnofsky sang him a Russian lullaby that he would sing along with her. Later, he learned to sing and play several Russian and Jewish songs. Over time, this boy became like an adopted son to the family.

The Karnofskys gave him money to buy his first musical instrument, as was customary in Jewish families. They admired his musical talent. Later, when he became a professional musician and composer, he incorporated Jewish melodies into some of his compositions.

The young black boy grew up and wrote a book about the Jewish family who had adopted him in 1907. In memory of this family, he wore a Star of David throughout his life. He said that from this family, he had learned "how to live real life and determination."

You might recognize his name. He was Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong. "Satchmo" is Yiddish for "big cheeks," a nickname some say was given to him by Mrs. Karnofsky. He proudly spoke fluent Yiddish.

Here’s a takeaway for you concerning “Satchmo.” Being less visible doesn’t make you less valuable. If you fix the boy, you will fix the man. A fixed man can fix the land. Of course, the same is true for women. Fixed people fix people. Changed people change people. No one can fix everyone, but we can help fix someone. The poor immigrant couple stepped into the boy’s situation. They committed to a long process of fixing up a 'fixer-upper' and changed the world. Perhaps, in your 'refrigerator staring times,' you could choose to be a 'Solutionary.'

Let's review John Philips's quote from this story. The Karnofskys looked around and found a boy in need. Then the thought, ‘Look out!’ They know that if he stays where he is, he will never reach his potential. Then they ‘looked in’ themselves and said, “We get to.” The Karnofskys looked ahead and became what the boy needed: parents. Where did they get the strength to do all of this? Then the Karnofskys looked up to God, who said, “We can do this together." 

Are you looking for something to do in the meantime? Choose it and remember this: ‘you don't have to, you get to!’ Did the penny drop?