A client last week asked one of our Midtown Chimney Sweeps franchisees for a few bristles cut from his chimney sweep brush. The sooty bristles are a symbol of good luck. There is a rich tradition of good fortune intrinsically tied to our careers of soot removal. We reviewed the 1964 film “Mary Poppins” with all-star cast favorites Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews. We gleaned three things to share with you. If you find these helpful, please share this post!
1. “Who looks after your father? Tell me that. When something terrible happens, what does he do? Fends for himself, he does. “ -Bert the Sweep
Bert the chimney sweep instructs the runaway children of Mr. Banks about who has life harder- them or their father. Sometimes the people that appear to be the meanest to us are the ones that need our help the most. George Banks has a list of people demanding things from him. His boss Mr. Dawes, a politically minded wife, two children needing to fly a kite, and not to mention his own personal financial world. Mr. Banks needs a rescue. Is there someone in your life that is being mean to you? Perhaps you could look at life through their eyes for a time and see if you can help them. Perhaps they too need a rescue.
2. “For tuppins for paper and strings, you can have your own set of wings.” -Mr. George Banks
Mr. Banks excitedly tells his children and wife this newfound truth he has discovered in the midst of his personal torment. He has been ejected from his generational financial career to the unemployed line, and yet his heart is light! He found what was most important in his world. When you need to spend time with your children and family, go fly a kite. And when you find that you have no kite, build a kite. It’s just a few tuppins for paper and strings. Get a banner and tie it on for a tail. When you send it flying up there, all at once your lighter than air! Time spent (or more correctly invested) with your family is never lost. Dividends may come slowly, but the family is one of the big rocks in life. Do the big things first and then drop the little priorities in around these later. Family is one of the big priorities of human life that directly results in personal moral stability and often therefore financial stability.
3. “Good luck will rub off when a chimney sweep shakes hands with you.” -Bert the Sweep
There are ancient and persistent tales of good luck attached to chimney sweeps. The tales are numerous and the facts are sketchy but one theme has consistently come through for over 200 years now. Seeing a chimney sweep, or especially shaking hands with one, is good luck for your day. Some traditions had a chimney sweep grace the local village on New Years day. All the townspeople would greet and touch his sooty clothes and shake hands with him. Other traditions state that a chimney sweep brings good luck to newly weds on their wedding day. To this day in many Western European countries, such as England, a chimney sweep is a regular occurrence for weddings, being hired by one party or the other to stand with the bride and groom and dispatch a light kiss on the cheek to the bride. So in honor of this happy tradition please greet a sweep soon and keep the tradition alive. Alas, the lucky chimney sweep!
Lets enjoy the long standing traditions of our forefathers by remembering to shake hands with lucky chimney sweeps. You never know. A chimney sweep may return your lost children to you, or help you see the error of your overworked schedule and neglect of your family. Or perhaps you may be spared some awful experience you will never know about, and all for the soot on a chimney sweep’s hand. If you enjoyed reading these 3 Lessons Learned from a Lucky Chimney Sweep, Please share this article! –Thank you, from the team at Midtown Chimney Sweeps Franchising, July 26th, 2015, Denver, Colorado. If you call and we do not answer, please forgive us. We are out flying a kite with our children.
