HE'S NOT GONNA  ASK YA,"HOW MUCH YA BENCH?"

By Peter Vuono

     My son and I love martial arts but I have to say that my 1st love is an obscure sport called powerlifting. Powerlifting got me stronger, raised my self esteem and even got me a job. When my 1st two employers-Mr. Paul Phinney and Mr. Henry LaBranche- found out that I was a powerlifter, they thought I'd be a good example to the kids and hired me on the spot in 1976. It was there in Pelham that I would meet my wife, Diane.

    So, it did a lot for me but it stops there. You see any trophy, any award and any record that I made in the grand scheme of things is totally meaningless. Why? It's because I was placed here to be of service to my family, my friends and any stranger.

    About 35 years ago I attended a sermon in Easton, Ma. by Father Lucio Filipino. Father Lucio mentioned that sins of the flesh were merely human weaknesses and that at the judgement there would be a much more important question asked. Father Lucio said that we will be asked, "Who did you serve?" I never forgot it but it took too long to sink in.

   Two years later, I was in a check-out line at Shaw's. I was in the back of the line and an old acquaintance of mine, (a magician named Ronnie), was up front. Ronnie didn't see me but I saw what was happening. He only bought 4 items and his credit card maxed. He walked out quietly and dejectedly without his groceries.

   To this day, I don't know why I didn't buy them for him. I can't remember if I didn't have enough cash for the both of us, or if I didn't want to embarrass him or even if I didn't care enough, but I never forgot.

Now, I make a point to help anyone that needs it. It could be;

a senior citizen with too heavy a load to put in the car,

or a homeless guy who always asks me for a dollar(and gets it) at the entrance to Walmart,

or a person who simply needs to be listened to,

or a student who needs to get constantly complimented,

or a Dunkin Donuts girl who deserves a 50% tip because she is sometimes disrespected by customers,

or a cashier who needs a polite and hardy greeting to make her feel important,

or to hold a door at a store or business for someone,

or to open a door for someone,

and yes, to pay for groceries for someone who misjudged their funds!

Father Lucio was right; it is these things that count. The creator doesn't care about money, status, fame, touch downs, college degrees, cars, houses, jewelry,  how strong I am, how much I can deadlift or, how much can I bench!!

I now try to build up a treasure trove of good works as it is good for me and for mankind. I don't know what happened to Ronnie, but his presence taught me a lesson and I'm forever grateful to him and to Father Lucio. It's not how much I benched; it's "Who did I serve?".