Phantom of the Pits - Phantom's Christmas Gift
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Phantom remembers those people he meets along his journey in trading and those he has met since he started his insight give back. His remarks were that he felt he could serve you much better than he has. Phantom felt that he is the beneficiary of what you have given to him.
The best compliment I can remember Phantom ever getting was when he was at an important meeting. The wine steward had just poured a glass of red wine for the host and to be polite Phantom also accepted the gesture. As the wine steward poured Phantom's glass to the brim, the last few drops spilled onto Phantom's white shirt and suit.
The wine steward turned to Phantom and said in a loud voice "Sir, a lesser man I could have served perfectly!"
Phantom turned to the wine steward and said to him, "It is I who must serve mankind better! I am grateful for your reminder."
Phantom wants to serve you better and is grateful to you for the thought you provoke within his reach. Some of the great traders are often overlooked. Great traders are not just those who have been fortunate enough to make it big in trading but also those who have made great trades in their lives.
It was Phantom's request after seeing a simple kindness of others toward a Dad and his Son in their loss of a long time family friend. The family dog had just passed on. To see the pouring of kindness of others toward the man and his son touched Phantom's heart.
It is not just this random act of kindness which touches his heart but powerfulness of wonderful thoughts which can be extended by others. Traders in their time and atmosphere of intense trading are still human in a cold and harsh environment.
Phantom wanted us to write his journey in an effort to balance the scales of trading and living as partners within the soul along the way. Trading at times can reach out and grab your soul with cruel implications but your living can repair your touch of kindness within your soul. Phantom wants you to see his insight of you.
It is true that much of the human element has nothing to do with trading and that most see no need to study human behavior. Or do they? In researching the lost dog incident it is clear that around ninety percent of traders involved tolerate such thought along their trading route and actually those opposed also contribute.
Phantom starts his insight to your journey. There is something to be learned. Or is there? He starts with his Christmas Gift.
Phantom's Christmas Gift By Phantom of the Pits (POP)
Along my journey of trading there have been great traders I shall always remember. To my surprise it is not the big success stories I remember but the great trades (events) those traders have made in their lives. Often it is a helping hand in exchange for their precious time and other times it is dedication in their lives toward mankind. The brotherhood shown by those great traders is what my journey has shown most to me.
I want to share some of my insight on you, the great traders in our world. The strongest thing in the world is love. It is stronger than death. What guides us to gather strength even when touched by death? This is just one of my questions in an effort to balance my trading career with the living side of the scales. What I have found out about you continues to give me answers. I want to share that with you.
The wife of a trader conveyed to me one of the great trades made by a person whom I consider a great trader. In our journey, we shall identify that person only if that person wishes us to do so. In this case the person has not decided to do so at this time.
It was Christmas Eve in 1979 when two men who had just finished their work shifts on a United States Naval Ship tanker. The ship was anchored in Ulsan, Korea and unloading fuel a distance from shore. Since the two men didn't get to be home with their loved ones on Christmas Eve they had plans for the evening. It was 8 p.m. and the two men took a boat launch to get to shore.
Both men were carrying large bags ashore. One of the men questioned as to whether they should be taking anything ashore for fear of being thought to smuggling ashore. The other man pointed out that this was surely the time to take that risk as it was indeed Christmas Eve and understanding might be easier if an explanation was required of them.
After getting off the boat launch the two men walked about two-mile and the sacks were really getting heavy at this time. It was a cold winter night in a country foreign but they had a plan and carried on with their heavy sacks.
The two men arrived at a building and entered, as it was unlocked. A lady came and met the two men from the ship and asked them to have a seat. A short time later a group of children came into the room and spoke in Korean. It seemed to be with great excitement that the children were pleased to see the two men. They had seldom seen others and especially these two men.
One man's name was Preston and the other man was my trader friend. The youngsters were laughing at their broken Korean language. Since the youngsters could not speak English it was the only chance for communications.
My trader friend according to his wife had caught the eye of two children. One was a boy about ten years old and the other was a young girl about six years old.
The only word the children were trying to convey to the men was the word Wahn or Waan or One. The men thought that perhaps they were trying to show they could count in English. The young girl would stare at the two men and the older boy would not stop talking, as he was very excited to meet Americans on Christmas Eve.
What was in the sack the housemother asked? The two men said you shall see in time. Let us get the children something to drink. At that point they were given something to drink.
Preston pulled out a sack within a sack and the children's eyes got wide as they thought it was a trick of sorts. The little girl was questioning with her eyes as the two men pulled out pieces of fried chicken which was left over that night from the ship's Christmas dinner. The men started eating a piece of chicken in front of the children. Their eyes were sad, as they seldom were able to eat as much as they wanted.
The children had never see or eaten fried chicken in their entire lives. Chicken pieces were being passed around to the youngsters as they learned the tasty smell of the new found food. The full sacks of food were more than enough for it didn't take long for the children to get full.
The oldest boy motioned to the housemother and asked several questions. It was Christmas Eve and getting late for the children but they were allowed to stay up late this special night.
The two men had to be back at the ship soon because it was to leave at 3 a.m. in the morning as the tide was going out and it was the only time the ship could leave safely.
About midnight the two men left on the launch for the ship. As the two men arrived back to the ship, the crew made ready to depart as their unloading of fuel had been completed.
My trader friend had tears in his eyes as the ship left and he thought of the starving children and his small participation on Christmas Eve. He had just been presented with a gift for trading his time in this event of which he would see many years later. It was one of the best TRADES he would ever make.
Fifteen years later in October 1994 my trader friend was once again on a ship and his wife had just been in a life-threatening event. Being on a ship and away from family presents impossible resolve in helping anyone.
My trader friend searched the ship for a Bible and for some reason none existed on this ship. The ship made weekly trips from Puerto Rico to New York and was in New York on a Saturday. After the ship had been properly secured to the dock, a man walked on the ship with permission to do so and approached my trader friend.
The man held out his hand and said, " my name is Mr. Wohn. Here is the Bible you wanted!" Why my trader friend was astonished as he had not mentioned this to anyone. How could this be? A stranger walks aboard a ship and hands out a Bible after my friend had been looking for one earlier in the week.
Having just finished lunch, my friend asked Mr. Wohn if he would stay for lunch. Mr. Wohn asked what is your meal on the ship? Today it is fried chicken, my friend informed him.
Mr. Wohn indicated it was his favorite food but he had already eaten lunch. At that time Mr. Wohn started to explain just how fired chicken became his favorite food.
"I am in America from Korea," Mr. Wohn said. "I promised God I would give mankind what they are in need of in their lives." My friend asked him how he had decided to dedicate himself in helping others.
"I was ten years old and my sister was six and the only family I had. We were both orphans and live in an orphanage in Ulsan, Korea. I first met God in my life on Christmas Eve in 1979. It was a cold Christmas Eve and it was a sad time on our lives for we never had enough food to eat and we would always be hungry when we went to bed."
"At about 9 or 10 that night, our housemother awakened us and told us to come with her. We went to our lunch room and sat at one of the tables. It was cold so my sister and I sat nearest to the stove to get warm."
"Two men were in the room and I thought we would see a magic trick as one of the men pulled a sack out of bag. The men started to eat a piece of food and it looked strange to us. They gave us some and motioned for us to eat the same way as them. One man put it up to his mouth and took a bite of the food. So my sister and I did the same. It smelled good and really was wonderful. It was fried chicken. It was the first time we ever ate fried chicken."
"Well I remembered the kindness of the two men to this day and that is how I decided I would help others."
"On that Christmas Eve, our housemother let us stay up late as this was different from the other nights. I was the oldest in the group of children and I wanted to know who brought the food for us. I asked our housemother and she said that God and Jesus had brought us the food. My sister looked at the two men and wouldn't take her eyes off of them when she heard the housemother's explanation of where the food had come. She had heard of them and wanted to know more. My sister asked how they had gotten to their orphanage and she was told that they had come on a big ship in the water."
"The two men left before we went to bed and all the children talked about the wonderful food and happiness of that night. Our housemother told us it would soon be Jesus' birthday the next day."
"I was excited the next morning and my sister was more excited as she wanted to go down to the ocean and see the big ship that God and Jesus had come on to give them food."
"I will never forget the disappointment in my sister's eyes when there was no ship. Can you imagine that? We had just seen God and Jesus in our eyes but there was no ship there at all. How had they gotten to us?" I began to lose faith that it was God and Jesus who had brought us food. My sister said yes it was them and she knew it was and wouldn't change here mind. She was so dear to me and all I had in life. So I let myself have the same faith and I promised God I would spread the same kindness to man."
"My little sister talked of meeting God and Jesus when she died and of living with them. She would ask me if I would come with here. I would cry at nights because I knew I would soon lose her." Mr. Wohn told my trader friend of his sister's death at her age of eight.
Mr. Wohn indicated that perhaps he had seen God and Jesus that Christmas Eve in 1979. As he walked down the gangway, my trader friend called to him but didn't know what to say. He could only think of that Christmas Eve away from home and loved ones when he had walked a cold nights walk with heavy sacks of food from the ship to an orphanage in a Korean town.
My trader friend yelled to Mr. Wohn, "Mr. Wohn, God uses people to accomplish his wishes at times."
Mr. Wohn yelled back, "Yeah, I know! Would you thank your friend for that Christmas Eve in 79 for me?"
Talking to my trader friends wife, I have found a deep gift. She says it is one of the most powerful gifts her husband cherishes. To trade a part of his life and to see it come back everyday when he looks at that Bible is the greatest Christmas gift he will ever need.
It was a great trade my friend made in 79 and to see it come back amplified fifteen years later is what I consider a great trade of a great trader. There are great traders among you and I see this of you too!
I hope you can see the true meaning of being a great trader. This one Christmas story of a ships' Chief Cook and an Officer is just the beginning of your great future in your trading career. There shall be more along the journey and I wish to share them with you.
"It is I who must serve mankind better! Phantom "
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