THE JANITOR
Bill Holbrook, the janitor at the wealthiest church in town,
ordered some cleaning supplies from the hardware store. When they arrived, the driver asked Bill to sign for them. Bill went into the pastor’s office and asked the pastor to sign for them. Puzzled, the pastor told Bill to sign for them.
“I can’t,” said Bill. “I can’t read or write.”
“Well,” replied the pastor, “I’m going to have to let you go, Bill. I’m sorry but we can’t have a janitor that can’t read or write.”
Bill started walking home, wondering how he was going to tell his wife the bad news, when he reached for his pipe and found he had run out of tobacco. He searched the neighborhood looking for a tobacco shop but could find none. And then he got an idea. When he got home, he told his wife he was going to open a tobacco shop.
The venture was so successful that Bill soon opened another, and then another until in ten years he was opening his one
hundredth tobacco shop.
A feature writer from USA Today came to interview Bill on this great occasion. When she had finished the interview
she asked Bill if he’d like to read over her notes.
“Yes, I would like to”, said Bill “but I can’t read or write.”
“My Gosh”, said the young lady. “You’ve accomplished so much. Just imagine what you’d be if you could read and write!”
“Yes,” smiled Bill. “I’d be the janitor in a church.”