The Story of a Man Named, Herb

There was a man who was seen as weak but he was very strong. His name was Herbert. Herbert was a kind man. He loved people and he would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He was extremely smart, and he was always willing to give a lending hand especially at the jobs he worked at. He would always say yes to the boss even if it meant cleaning the boss’ car or scrubbing the toilets if that’s what his boss wanted. Now, don’t get me wrong, Herbert was a well-educated man and he was probably one of the smartest people in his office. Not only was he a good man but he happened to value self growth and all the things that come with being a better person, but something still wasn’t right. Respect was the one thing that Herb desired most but what he was seeking will not be what he finds.

Herbert worked at an engineering firm where business was steady. If creative problem solving was a prized boxing skill Herbert would be considered the most humble contender in the ring. He had a quality about him that never pushed anyone else to discount their own worthiness or credibility because he was so comfortable with his own skills, so he thought. Although you would think that the firm would appreciate Herbert for his consideration, you are quite wrong. Herb, let’s call him Herb, seemed to be the most underestimated employee at the firm.

Herb would go home every night concerned about how his performance was and worried about the negative comments that his cohorts would jab at him. One activity that helped him cope was journaling. He journaled so much that you’d think his fingers would fall off. Journaling wasn’t just about reflecting for him. It was an important tool to talk about everything from life, love, relationships, work performance, and really…anything!

Herb knew that he did good work, but he would still go home feeling discontented. He wondered why the same people whose weaknesses that he chose never to abuse would exploit the one thing that he considered to be his strength, his vow to never use another person’s weakness for his gain.

Herb scratched his head on this one but he just couldn’t figure it out. He was one of the smartest people there, one of the most honest people there, and his quality of work was amazing. He also had good looks going for him and he wanted to find the right woman and play all his cards right so that he could have someone special one day. Even though other people wouldn’t say it, they respected the discipline and self-control that Herb had.

Herb’s boss, whose name was Barbara, also known as Bobby, would even neglect to give Herb the top creative projects. She would give them to Herb’s cubicle mate, Billy instead. Herb was well-qualified to meet or out produce his cohorts, but his boss Bobby never wanted to take a risk on Herb. Instead, Bobby would rather go with what was familiar to her than to see if Herb really had the ability to produce. Herb had his own theory as to why Billy had a way of strong arming the boss and convincing her that he (Billy) was more talented than he actually was. To Herb, it was Billy’s ability to flavor everything he said with covert sexual innuendos. In other words, Billy had a good understanding of the boss and he knew how to use shocking comments to throw her off guard. Herb didn’t want to manipulate anyone in order for them to appreciate his work. He left work feeling disappointed. He wondered why all his talents seemed like unwanted presents.

Then, there was also Pamela. Pamela was always complaining about others to everyone in the office. Her complaints sounded more like off track sermons. She would complain about others in a preaching manner and without her knowing it directly, her desire to always be right was finally catching up to her. She was no longer right and this bad habit would ultimately prove to skew the truth. She was also very overweight and loved to flaunt her large size when in reality she hated on anyone who was physically fit in the office.

That day when Herb left work he went to the bookstore and while looking for a new journal, an elegant woman of obvious means handed him a beautiful black Moleskin notebook. Herb loved it right away. Upon giving it to him she said, “I think this might help you find what you are looking for.” Herb ran to the cashier right away to pay for it. The cashier promptly said, “I can’t charge you for that because it's not our book. May I ask where you found it?" Herb pointed to the woman and she was gone, nowhere to be found and out of sight. The cashier commented, “That must have been a gift.”

When Herb got home that night, he opened his new Moleskin journal. Immediately, he noticed that the journal had been used before because pages were torn from it. He began writing and as he turned to a fresh page he discovered that this book had a bigger purpose than just a simple black notebook. In black letters the following instructions were written, ‘'Pick three people who you dislike and do an anonymous good deed for each of them. You will be given $33,333,333.00 to do so. A third of that money has to be given away. You have 3 months to complete this and at the end of this process you will decide which person will receive the honors of having the little black notebook handed down to them. Herb knew that Pamela, Billy, and Bobby were going to be the three people he chose. He got to work fast because spending $11,111,111.00 in 3 months was a lofty task.

First, there was Pamela. Herb knew that a deep loneliness sat beneath the surface of her guarded exterior but he always struggled to be able to get through to her. Pamela was one of those people that said being fat was a preference. To be condescending was what brought Pamela a sense of peace, a false sense of peace.

Next, there was Billy. Billy had a disabled son at home that he loved dearly. He was a single father who struggled to make good decisions due to his own insecure nature which stemmed from his inability to find a partner. Every woman that Billy went on dates with was the right woman until she wasn’t and this mentality led him nowhere. Billy’s toxic masculinity and strong arming tactics landed him assignments but when he wasn’t scaring people into getting what he wanted he was the office fool. The basis of his self-worth and reputation were a far cry from anything altruistic.

And then there was Bobby, Herb’s boss. She would tell Herb to pick up beer cans and clean up hypodermic needles from around their downtown building despite his skills. One of Bobby's struggles was making decisions. She also avoided conflict at all costs. Bobby would give gifts but her gifts were always items that she didn’t want. It was of no sacrifice to her. Her main interest was to acquire wealth. She cared more about money more than anything else in the world.

After analyzing each recipient, Herb decided on some creative ways to disperse the funds. He decided that Pamela would get a years worth of personal training sessions so that she could finally learn to love her body and heal any amount of jealousy that ruminated within her. He wanted her to look good and be happy. He wanted her to stop being jealous of the other fit people in the office and own the fact that she too could reach an optimal level of health and be happy with her appearance. Herb decided to spend $33,333.00 for Pamela’s personal trainer, dietician, and mental health services. Everything was given to Pamela anonymously and arranged to appear as a left over gift from her recently deceased, Great Aunt Sally.

As far as Billy’s funds would play out, Herb decided to set up an autism foundation for Billy’s son and donate $7,777,777.00 to the start of the foundation and to do all of this anonymously. He hired a lawyer and bought the building and created multiple scholarship funds for families struggling with autistic children. Billy would finally be able to quit his job and devote his life to his son and other children that needed to be touched by an opportunity like this.

And then there was Bobby. Herb decided to send Bobby to the tropics because she couldn’t think of anything else besides money. He wanted her to get away from work and relax in order to experience getting her mind off of always having to make a profit. Herb sent her to Fiji, on safaris to Cameroon, to river cruises down the Yangtze River, to Bermuda, Sri Lanka, etc. He spent the final amount of $3,000,001 on a combination of Bobby’s excursions and he spared a little bit more for Pamela’s retirement fund.

Upon completing these tasks, Herb opened his notebook to journal about his experiences. He was also curious to see if his next set of instructions would be laid out, but upon opening the notebook it read in bold black ink, "You were chosen because you were a product of someone else’s dislike. We now want you to realize the gift of how your enemies can make you whole. The challenge that arises from having to forgive others is the greatest gift because forgiveness makes us whole." Herb finally understood why he had to embark on this mission and he also knew who was going to be the next recipient of the little black book. On the next page it read, "WRITE RECIPIENT NAME HERE AND THE REST IS NOT YOUR CONCERN." From what Herb understood, all he had to do was write down the name of the person that he chose and the time, place, and encounter would make itself happen.

Herb had to learn that the love he needed to acquire in order to learn to give love had to come from forgiveness. As perfect as Herb thought he was, he learned that he had anger in his heart towards his co-workers. He was perpetuating the cycle of hate and unforgiveness without even really knowing it.

Unbeknownst to Herb something interesting was about to happen next. As Herb went to write what would end up being his final journal entry, he would find that the door bell would ring shortly after. Herb picked up the pen and wrote, “I have decided to give this notebook to...Bobby.” The door bell rang. Herb opened the door and he saw the elegant woman from the bookstore standing there with her hands open waiting to receive the notebook. He handed her the book and the woman dressed in suede and silk opened the notebook. She proceeded to tear the pages out that Herb had written on. As she turned away and left, Herb said, “Now, I understand, THANK YOU.”