An Address Given By Mr. Watson To The Brokers Of Smith, Blain, and Templeton Stock Brokerage

My name is Randolph Watson. As you can tell, I am an old man. On my next birthday, if I make it, I’ll be 93. When I was sixteen years old I was a messenger boy for this firm. I had a bike and rode all over the brokerage district delivering messages to brokerage houses. Well, an elderly gentleman who was a broker here pulled me aside one day and asked me if I would like to play the market. In those days, everyone played the market. It was in the winter of 1927 and the sky was the limit. People were buying and selling stock like you would not believe and making money at it. From newspaper boys, cab drivers, and shoe shine boys, to the big industrialists, everyone was in the market. In addition to going crazy over bootleg booze it was the roaring twenties and everyone was going crazy over stocks. Well, this old guy that worked here wanted to know if I would like to play the market and I said, “Sure, but I got no money to play with.” Well, the old guy smiled and said he would loan me the money. The guy loaned me $10,000 which seemed like a fortune in those days. However, the old guy put a stipulation on the deal. The old guy told me if I made big money with his loan I had to pay the loan back with interest and then I had to commit my life to doing one particular thing. When I asked what the one particular thing was he said I had to hold up the world. Of course, I did not understand the meaning of the term “hold up the world” but it sounded like an easy deal to a kid. Not caring so much about holding up the world, I took the money. Actually he didn’t give me money he gave me stock. The stock went up, and up, and up in the next few months. In August of 1929, the old guy tells me I have to get out of the market and stay out till the storm was over. I had no idea what he was talking about but I followed his advice. I got out. In October, as you know, everything came crashing down. The net effect for me was I became incredibly wealthy overnight because the value of my money gained from my stock sale mushroomed in value when the depression hit. We reinvested my money when the market hit bottom and I was set for life. Shortly, the old guy passed away. In his will, he left me the way I was to hold up the world.

The reason I come in here every day is because I am following my commitment to hold up the world. Let me tell you, my way of holding up the world works. I know when I do not come in here every day, things go bad for you gentlemen. I can tell when I come back in here after being away, things were not good while I was gone. I am going to tell you what I do here. For over 75 years I have been coming to this brokerage house sitting here watching the ticker board. Of course in the beginning of my effort here, there were no instant flashes of data like we have today. Back then, an employee would write the price of the stock on a big blackboard. When the price changed, the old price would be erased and the new price written in. Pretty crude by today’s standards.

Now I will tell you what I do here every day. Every day I sit here, have been doing the same thing for over 75 years, I sit here and I pray. I know it sounds a little strange to go to a brokerage house to pray but I have reasons. The main reason I come here, of course I also go to church and pray, but during the daytime, when the market is open, I come here. I come here because in this brokerage house with all the buying and selling going on, with clients all over the world, I can pray and through you brokers I reach the world, even when you brokers don’t know what I am doing. The brokers never knew. They never asked because they were busy doing their jobs. Also, I think they were afraid to ask because things went so well when I came in and things went so bad when I was away they were afraid to mess up the good luck they thought I brought them by talking to me.

Everyone has reach. By that I mean everyone is able to reach others, often in unseen ways. Everyone can hold up the world through prayer. So I am going to give you a tip to bring you untold wealth. The untold wealth may not be the wealth of money or riches but you can possess the untold wealth of a rich spiritual life. Although I have never married and have no living relatives, I am an incredibly happy man. I have seen my money wealth rise and fall, but the wealth the old guy gave me in his last will and testament far outweighs the money value I possess.

Therefore, upon my death, or before if you are so inclined to receive the opportunity, I bequeath to you the opportunity to pray every day. I bequeath to you the opportunity to hold up the world by praying every day.

Of course, I know most of you will take this as some kind of joke, but it is no joke that my prayers have dramatically impacted you and the several generations of other brokers in this office who came before you. For those of you who take this praying idea seriously, you will see a result from what you do. You may not see the result for years and years, but eventually, over time, your prayers have a powerful impact. Your prayers, if you are faithful and honest, will hold up the world.

I want to thank you and your management for letting me speak to you today. I also want to thank you and all of your predecessors who permitted me to sit here in your firm, even when you and they did not know what I was really doing. May God hold you in the palm of His hand while you hold up the world in prayer.

The Lord's Prayer

Matthew 6:9 - 13 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (KJV)

A facetious story full of truth. 

This story first appeared in May, 2005, in the Virtual  Church web site at http://www.shepherdscare.net