Making a Difference Whistling Through Life

by Ray Keating

People move in and out of our lives. Some stay for the duration, while others make but relatively brief appearances. No matter the length of stay certain people make a lasting impression.

Roughly 25 years ago, I worked for a national taxpayer group headquartered in Washington, D.C., and a co-worker was Christopher Ullman. Chris made a lasting impression, not simply due to the fact that he’s a really good guy, but also because he is a whistler. So, when I would visit the D.C. office, it was not unusual to hear Chris practicing his whistling. This would lead to some interesting and enjoyable discussions.

Eventually, I journeyed on to another economist position, and Chris moved on to a series of impressive positions in D.C. But he also went on to become a four-time international whistling champion, as well as a 2012 inductee into the Whistling Hall of Fame, alongside Bing Crosby.

I think Chris and I probably exchanged an email here and there over the years, but then I recently came across the fact that he had written a book. As it turns out, he has authored an engrossing book, Find Your Whistle: Simple Gifts Touch Hearts and Change Lives (Mascot Books, Herndon, Virginia, 2017), that not only tells some fascinating, amusing and inspiring stories tied in to Chris’s lifelong whistling journey, but how he has used his talent to touch assorted lives in significant ways.

Now, I’m not much for sappy. So, rest assured, this is in no way a sappy book. Rather, it’s a well-written tome that made me laugh, amazed and inspired me, and at times, got me a bit choked up.

The stories Chris relays stand out for different reasons, for example, from whistling in the Oval Office for President George W. Bush, to taking the stage with the band at B.B. King’s Blues Club in Memphis, to whistling the National Anthem at a Cincinnati Reds game, to performing “The Marines’ Hymn” for a Marine Corps major general, to touching the life and forming a friendship with a man who was physically and developmentally challenged, but whistling was one of the ways by which he communicated.

Finally, Chris talks about his “ministry.” No, he’s not a priest or pastor. His fulltime gig is being an accomplished communications professional. But Chris whistles “Happy Birthday” to more than 500 people each year now. He explained, “My whistle is a tool, a means to touch people’s hearts and lives in simple ways that deliver joy and goodwill. It’s not about God, necessarily, the way a traditional ministry would be premised or motivated. That said, it is about the dignity and value of human life, and the joy and importance of service that my faith teaches.” And a bit later, he added, “All the psycho-babble aside, the ‘Happy Birthday’ whistle is sweet, pure fun, and there’s always need for more good, clean, joyous fun in this world.”

Indeed, and Chris is one of those people who delivers such joy, including through his fine book Find Your Whistle: Simple Gifts Touch Hearts and Change Lives.

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Ray Keating is an economist and a novelist. His latest thriller, Reagan Country: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, can be pre-ordered and will be published on May 10. Keating also is new to the world of podcasting with Ray Keating’s Authors and Entrepreneurs Podcast and Free Enterprise in Three Minutes.

Tune in to Episode #11 of the Authors and Entrepreneurs Podcast titled Finding Your Whistle with Chris Ullman.