07/15/2023
This post stems from several life experiences and conversations I’ve had. Some very recent and plenty that are not. It’s not directed at anyone in particular, and if you feel it is in any way, then lace that shoe up, and wear it proudly.
I’m pretty decent at my job. It really chaps my ass when some one is upset about the time and effort I put into my work.
Most of the time I’m working on something, I’m thinking…. I’m thinking that some one’s son or daughter may be strapped into the 3200 pound land missile I’m working on, and fired down a 660 foot two lane piece of blacktop at a minimum of highway speeds, and then stop in about the same distance.
I think about the fact that they are going to do it over and over again and probably never double check anything on the car, so my work has to be done right, and done to last.
I make sure the nuts and bolts are tight, with the right washers… I make sure the wiring is clean, neat, and well encased so it doesn’t short out, abraid, or wear through. I protect the wires near hot things with the proper heat shielding to keep it from melting through. The same goes for brake hoses, oil lines and steering hoses.
The fuel lines are neat, secure, and shielded from heat and moving parts. I’ve been on fire, I had my dad drive me to the emergency department, and my new fiancé meet me there…. I make sure I do everything in my power to keep anyone from having to go through that.
I will never make excuses for the length of time I take to do my job. Some things I do are done quickly because the task is not difficult and basic on all levels. Some things I do carry such a massive weight in so many unthought of ways, that I will step back, take a moment to research, plan, and understand before I act. I do that so family time can be in the living room or on the back deck, sharing stories, laughing and talking, and not in a hospital room, crying, worrying, and asking why, or even worse… mourning.
I love what I do, I love the products I’ve created. It doesn’t matter if it’s the car you put a loved one in, the rifle a police officer takes on duty every day, or the holster some one carry’s a concealed weapon in for protection. If I’ve worked on it, built it, or made it, I’ve thought about it for more hours than I have physically worked on it.
If that sounds good to you, then you can find me, and my work ethic at “The Shop” at 660 Alfred road, in arundle maine.
If you don’t have a use for that, there’s always some one who can do it cheaper, but they work some place else, and I’m sure you have 10 friends who can point you in those directions.
