I'm not going to lie. When I tell people who know of my family, that I am a Cluck, I too often get a less than favorable look. Cluck, for those who don't know, is the ironic name of my extremely profitable Texas cattle ranching family. Well, not all of us are, and therein lies the problem.
Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my god, do not delay. Psalm 40:17
When family members and friends first realized I was going to move forward with this project, some thought I was carrying a big whistle to blow, in a tell-all account of my "greedy family members" who did greatly prosper. In 1986, my grandfather pulled me into the lobby driveway of The Worthington Hotel in downtown Fort Worth and with reminiscent joy in his eyes, he painted a picture for me I would never forget. He said, "Jill, we used to finish our business in the stockyards and check in right here. We'd all have brand new Cadillacs delivered and then we'd race each other all the way back home!" He told me this story only a few short years after he had been forced into bankruptcy.
I don't know if you know this story but Stringbean of Hee Haw fame didn't trust the bank so he stuffed all that money he was making on the show into all sorts of hidden places. Long after he died, a man who'd bought Stringbean's former house started a fire in the fire place. Ashes and paper particles began to fall from the chimney into the fire. Stingbean had stored a huge stash up the chimney. It had been there so long it had rotted and the heat of the fire was causing the crumbled remains to loosen and fall into the flames.
There was quite a debate between my grandfather and other members of the family on just how to make money, specifically where cattle were concerned. "The audacity!" you might be thinking. Well, think what you want. When I decided to take this project on, I also decided I couldn't care - not that I didn't care, but that I couldn't care what others think of anything I had to say about it all. So now, let me begin to say what I have to say on the subject of prosperity, and the "profitable" members of my family.
First, the term profitable has a two-fold definition:
prof·it·a·ble
/ˈpräfədəb(ə)l/
adjective
1.
(of a business or activity) yielding profit or financial gain.
"a professionally run and profitable company"
Similar:
moneymaking, profit-making, commercial, successful, commercially successful, money-spinning, sound, solvent, in the black, cost-effective, fruitful, gainful, remunerative, financially rewarding, paying, lucrative, bankable
Opposite:
unprofitable, loss-making
2.
beneficial; useful.
"he'd had a profitable day"
For the past thirty seven years, I've stared this story in the face, as a songwriter, storyteller, and flesh and blood member of the family. I have been greatly humbled and I firmly believe that I have gained some very beneficial, useful insights about prosperity - not only for my family but as much for the "family" - The Commoners of this great country - America the Beautiful. Furthermore, I believe there has been no better time to talk about it. Stay tuned this week for more in this three-part series on just what I think about prosperity.
Check out the next "chapter" in the twelve-song story album. This song called "Fort Worth" depicts a time when my family came out of dust bowl poverty and into great prosperity. It is a blast of a song!
Listen here: https://tinyurl.com/y6st9t8r
Comments