My Grandfather: A Man Of Purpose By David Joseph Shamie

I want to talk a little bit about Grandpa’s values and how they’ve affected my life and thought.

For me Grandpas way of life, his ethos, left me with an antidote to nihilism.

Sometimes I find it easy to fall into a cynical malaise,

to go through the world with the attitude that nothing matters.

I often encounter this general feeling of fatigue amongst people,

a desire to just forget about the implications of an action, and a discomfort with confrontation.

For me, Grandpa was someone who knew who he was and what he stood for, and wasn’t afraid to tell you.

Valuing human decency, helping others and not looking back on it, and knowing you could just as easily have been in the shoes of the less fortunate if the cards were dealt differently, helping others and most not looking back on it

Helping others as if it were a sense of duty, not benevolence.

In his book The Gift the anthropologist Marcel Maussrecounts the etymology of the Hebrew word Tzedaka.Mauss points out that the original meaning of the word, which we know to mean chairty, was, exclusively,“Justice.”

At its origins in Judaism, Alms were what was owed to the poor.

The way grandpa approached the world was not as though he was someone bestowing his blessing of generosity, but as though he was doing his moral duty.

Feeling connected and invested in the success of humans around you, as though it were am imperative rather than a whim of kindness is.

Knowing you did the right thing and not dwelling on it, moving on quickly so as not to question your loss from a self-interest perspective.

His sense of purpose was felt by everyone around him and everyone he did business with. A few months ago I went to china and met Zhao, one of Grandpa’s oldest factory owners. His walls were covered with photos of grandpa.The man had a determined face, one of purpose and honor. Anybody who met him and knew grandpa could immediately see the life changing impression he left onhim.

Distinguishing where you stand unwaveringly in the face of the different fashions of the crowd around you

Not being afraid of confrontation when it matters, even if it leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth

Understanding that people come from different backgrounds and their perspectives have much to offer you, and using this to build on your foundation of principles

These are the things Grandpa taught me.

He gave me the ground to build a life of willful conscious and I wouldn’t be the same person without him.