TALENTS

Two friends, Giles and Miles, both possessed the talents of charm, quick wits, and persuasiveness. They met in school. Giles talked his way out of situations that other classmates caught the blame for. Miles rode on the coattails of Giles and escaped many punishments. However, the suffering endured by those taking the fall made Miles uncomfortable, while Giles simply felt relief.

Giles and Miles enjoyed many adventures in high school. They capitalized on their talents, gaining “star status” by winning leading roles in plays. This made them popular with the girls. Giles used his influence to “play the field.” He had a different girl on his arm almost nightly, casting aside one as a new fancy caught his eye. Miles had girlfriends too, but did not enjoy the pain inflicted by rejecting girls he found no deep compatibility with. He broke up with girlfriends, but not at the expense of their self-esteem.

Both went to college and then became successful salesmen. Giles enjoyed quick success, bringing in several new accounts. However, when he couldn’t consistently deliver the pricing and service he’d originally offered, the turnover rate of his accounts was also high. He fretted about losing sales, but with more and more effort, he fast-talked his way into making new first time sales to back-fill the ones he lost.

Miles slowly built up a loyal customer base. He got his foot into many doors using his charm, but then built up lasting relationships by offering promises he could keep. When he needed extra sales to make his quota, he relied on the integrity established with his customers. Their appreciation of his trusted service prompted them to order more than was really needed. He didn’t get the glitz of setting new sales records every month, but neither were the swings in his sales figures as wild as those of Giles.

Both married beautiful, well educated women. Miles worked hard in meeting the emotional needs of his wife. He also communicated in non-threatening ways to her the things he needed to feel secure in their marriage. Though he found he could easily talk her into seeing his point of view, there were many times when his suggestions failed to culminate in satisfying outcomes. Moreover, he realized several suggestions she made resulted in fulfilling experiences. They learned together that by pooling their ideas, the synergy of compromise led to joy beyond either of their expectations. They built a solid foundation of sharing upon which their marriage blossomed.

Giles put only enough into his marriage to keep it afloat. When it required effort, he performed herculean acts. When he could slide by using only flattery and deception, he did so. He had many affairs. His guile and cunning allowed him the edge to keep his wife from discovering his trysts, but the emotional void it left distanced them. Neither felt supported. Neither felt the joy inherent in togetherness. Essentially they lived separate lives bound together only by their domicile.

Miles and his wife were the proud parents of three children. Like all kids, they had their trials and tribulations. All became professionals with families of their own, giving Miles and his wife several grandchildren to dote over. Which they did, going to birthday parties, school concerts, sporting events; always showering them with love and affection.

Giles also had three children. When all three were teenagers, Giles and his wife divorced. Giles rarely exercised his visitation rights. None of the children had anything to do with Giles as they got older, except to borrow money they never repaid.

Miles died surrounded by family. Scores of friends, business associates, and an extended grieving family attended his funeral.

Only Giles’ current girlfriend attended his funeral. She came looking for the name of his lawyer to see if he left her anything in his will.

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