Back To Work

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My first day back to work caused me to set the alarm for 5:00 as I had a 6:30 a.m. meeting scheduled.

I was up an hour before the alarm.

Which gave me time to think.

I've always enjoyed going to work.

It's an honor to be gainfully employed and I've never once taken it for granted. However the time off to try and recover was good for one thing:

It calmed me down a little and made me appreciate the fact that I could get back out there.

So what happens?

It's freaking zero degrees out and they're calling for Buffalo to become the North Pole by 11 a.m.!

The first job-site was before me. I dressed in layers and even found my gloves. I parked the car as close as I could get to the project and opened the side door.

It closed in on me in a mad rush of the heavy winds. I laughed.

"Guess I'll have to hold it open."

I held it open and placed my bad leg, which is getting better each day, on the ground...the parking lot was an ice rink.

"Oh snap!"

I stuttered my steps through the short walk to the building and moved around the site carefully. Very carefully.

Like Tim Conway used to walk on the Carol Burnett Show.

The guys working outside in the bitter cold were all glad to see me back out there with them. I exchanged a few pleasantries and despite the fact that I was pulling Arctic air into my lungs and was walking like a newborn baby I was having the time of my life.

On Sunday night my beautiful wife had scolded me:

"What are you going to do if there's a ladder in front of you?"

I shrugged.

"You're not to climb it!" She said.

"Yes dear."

Yet I had hand-picked my sites. I knew which ones didn't send me to the very high places.

Five hours after leaving the house I was back home to write reports. There was more to be done, of course, but I was going to be smart, and besides the snow was coming.

I made it to the computer feeling great about my return to work.

I had been sensible.

Then the phone rang.

"OSHA's here!" The guy said into my ear.

I got back into the car and made the drive and walked the one extra job that I didn't really need.

I was limping a little when I got home again.

Yet I still hadn't climbed a ladder.

And I was still really glad I had a job to go to.

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