As a bagpiper, I was asked by a funeral director to play at a grave-side service for a homeless man, with no family or friends… The funeral was to be held at a cemetery way back in the country, and this man would be the first to be laid to rest there.

Since I was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost; and being a typical man did not stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late. I saw the backhoe and the crew, who were eating lunch, but the hearse was nowhere in sight.

Apologizing to the workers for my tardiness, I stepped to the side of the open grave, and saw that the vault lid was already in place.

I assured the workers I would not hold them up for long, but this was the proper thing to do. The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch. I played out my heart and soul...

As I played the workers began to weep. I played, and I played, like I'd never played before... from Going Home and The Lord is my Shepherd to Flowers of the Forest. I closed the lengthy session with Amazing Grace and walked to my car.

I was opening the door to my car and taking off my coat, when I overheard one of the workers saying to another, "Sweet Jeezuz, Mary'n Joseph, I ain't never seen nothin' like that before - and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."