Take a Day Off

-
Unless you don't work at all...then spend the day working somewhere.

Just to change it up.

My first job was at the age of 14. I picked berries.

It sucked.

I went from there to picking peppers and tomatoes. We worked the fields till we got our back burned. I was trying to get my facts learned.

'Baby I got my facts learned real good right now.'

Went from there to a grocery store. I bagged groceries while staring at the cashiers. It was more a social job than a wage-earning one.

I learned to drink beer during that stint.

And the beer drinking came in handy during my years as a Union Laborer. I was making money hand-over-fist. I worked real, real hard. Shackled and Drawn.

Knew I didn't want to work that hard.

But could never leave the construction field. To this day the most honest guys I know break their backs for a living.

When I graduated college I took a few jobs. I've been lucky. I've gotten out of bed with a destination in mind every day since 1986.

26 years and counting. Up and out.

Give them a better day than what they expected when they hired me.

I can honestly say that with the possible exception of a couple of days I've done that. (The day after the Rod Stewart concert back in the 90's was a lost day). Dad taught me: 'If the guy next to you is working hard, work harder.'

And that's the basic premise, right?

Yet in all those years of being out there, I've seen a shift.

Don't get me wrong: A lot of people still work hard, but there are way more people out there who don't believe in the creed mentioned above.

"What can you do for me?"

It saddens me that there's a lot of that going on these days.

Personal days?

"Get sick on your own time," my first labor boss told me.

Family Leave Act?

Your family is better off if you're working.

Hurt?

"Did you punch out as soon as you did this?" My boss asked me as I held a rag around a bloody hand back at the grocery store.

We both laughed, but you know what?

I felt bad for costing him time.

So, take a day off. Appreciate your job, and tomorrow, when you get back in the saddle, remember a couple of things:

1). It's a privilege to work.

2). Do more than they expect.

It's not about them.

It's about you.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suits

-
Like a lot of other people we got pulled into the series, ‘Suits’ on Netflix. I’ve never had much fun hanging around lawyers who have questioned me as a construction safety officer. I once testified in a case where the opposing lawyer started questioning me by going through my educational background. “So,” he said, racing to a crescendo, “You graduated from college with a degree in Communications-Journalism and suddenly, 30 years later, you’re a ‘safety expert.’” He actually made the quotation marks with his fingers. I just looked at him. “How does that happen?” He bellowed, sure that he was going to discredit me. “Well,” I said. “I knew I was overqualified to become a lawyer.” The courtroom erupted in laughter. Even the judge chuckled. The rest of his questions landed flat. So, I wasn’t all that keen on a show about lawyers, but ‘Suits’ is great. Meghan Markle became a princess because of the show, and she is very good in it (and a beautiful woman). Yet, there is so much more. The wri
Read more

My Buddy, Dave

-
Way back in 1997, I started working with a steel erection company out of Syracuse. I was coming straight from a long stint with a steel erector here in Buffalo so I knew my stuff when it came to steel erection safety rules. On day one, I met with the safety director and he was just getting started as a safety guy, but man, he certainly cared about the guys he worked with. Dave was a good man from the start. He’d say things like: “You’re so full of beans.” Just a down to earth, hardworking guy who became a fast friend. We drove all around New York State setting up jobs. I always let Dave drive so that I could rest. One fine day, way up North of Syracuse, we passed a state trooper.  I glanced at the speedometer. “You’re screwed,” I said, and seconds later, the lights came on. Dave was beside himself.  The cop stopped by the window, grabbed the license and registration and headed back to his vehicle. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “You’re pissed, but you’re such a good guy that I bet you tha
Read more

Mom & Ollie

-
Image
 Ollie Stadium is a mess. The heavy rains rendered the backyard a mud pit and even though we threw in the side yard, the Big O was looking for more, and we were both covered in mud. I had to take some steam out of him somehow so I suggested we go visit Grandma. Ollie hates the car, but he laid quietly as we made the trip. We even brought the football because there is plenty of room to play at Grandma’s. Mom opened the door and started laughing. I thought about the love she had for every single dog we ever had. Oliver was quick to give my Mom a kiss, and then he stood beside her. The love between Mom and Dogs is a mutual bond. Through the years, Mom would make breakfast for the dogs.  Fried eggs, toast, bacon… She would wrap Christmas gifts for them. “To Jeter, Love Santa,” she would write on the cards. They played with the big chicken that made a lot of noise. Mom tossed the football and Ollie brought it back to her. As the visit drew to a close I headed for the door.  “C’mon, Oliver,”
Read more