What if I told you that a pencil can teach you one of the most profound lessons about human life? I’ll prove it to you!

There’s nothing unique about a plain, simple, No. 2 wooden pencil (you know, the ones we used in school).

Except that… there’s nothing plain or simple about it at all. Even though we’ve all owned many of these exact pencils throughout our lives and we’re all very familiar with them, their existence is a true miracle.

Yes, a miracle. Here’s why:

Pencils are made of four basic materials: wood, graphite, rubber, and aluminum.

But assuming you had each of these materials right in front of you, do you think you could turn them into a pencil? Probably not. It’s a lot harder than you might think to create a pencil on your own — even if you already have the materials you need.

Even something as common and mundane as a No. 2 pencil can’t be created by one person alone. It requires the cooperation of many, many people for it to exist.

Consider the wood. The wood used to craft this pencil is cedar from the Pacific Northwest. The tree that was cut down to create it is one of the pencil’s immediate “ancestors.” But so is the logger who cut down that tree, the tools that were used to do so, and the people whose work it is to create those tools. These are all considered “ancestors” of the pencil.

Let’s go even further. Consider what was needed to bring the lumber to the mills and slat factories to produce wooden slats. Roads, trucks, ships, and communication systems were necessary for the production of the single slat of wood that would eventually turn into a pencil. And that’s just the wood!

The “lead” is graphite, which is mined in many areas around the world. A graphite and clay combination must be properly baked at nearly 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. (I don’t know about yours, but my oven doesn’t get that hot.)

Many people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds must collaborate to produce the lead that goes into each pencil. They are also “ancestors.”

This leaves us with the rubber and aluminum. The rubber used for the eraser requires ingredients from all around the world. Just like the wood and graphite, the eraser and aluminum require the collaboration of millions of people.

But I haven’t even mentioned the most interesting part of all this yet.

The man who cut down the tree did not do so to create a specific pencil. Neither did the truck driver who delivered lumber to the slat factory.

Yet somehow, for some reason, I have a pencil right here in my hand… and it’s only worth about four cents.

Do you see now why I call it a miracle?

The same perspective can be used to further appreciate the things we love about day-to-day life here in McKinney. Consider all that’s needed to produce the amazing food at Cadillac Pizza Pub, as well as our buildings and homes.

I know firsthand how much work goes into helping people buy and sell their houses. And there is so much more that happens behind the scenes, including the materials and work needed to build the homes I help to sell.

We all play a part in creating a better society for others — in ways we may not even realize.

So, never take anything for granted. Not even a No. 2 pencil.