Catchy title aint it?
We have a guy, Larry that’s fifty nine, used to be a big strong bull of a man. Has a good wife and family that loves him. He has a couple of adult daughters that are mentaly challenged that he supports. Several years ago he worked for a trucking company and was unloading pipe from a trailer, he was in a big hurry to get done cause he was company all the way. Something happened and he fell off backwards onto the ground. Broke his back and ruined his life forever. He spent something like a year in bed. He still has constant back pain, and walks bent over.
After he healed enough to get out of bed, he was stuck doing odd jobs on farms and the like. He used to work for the bosses old partner on a farm they owned together. My boss hired him full time to work with us cause even though he can’t stand up straight and is slow as heck he can still out work most kids he hires. There’s been more then one that’s been shamed by Larry when out working. I like taking Larry cause he’s got lots of experiance and works his azz off. I love taking long trips with him cause we’ve both been all over the country in our younger years and swap stories together pretty good. And he’s one of the very few that I can sleep soundly while he drives. I’ll save alot of explaining but long story short he loves to talk about the way he used to be.
Anyway the boss has been using Larry at the shop as much as he can the last year cause the poor guy is getting worse and worse as far as his health goes. And part of working at the shop is taking care of the horses which is something Larrys good at. But considers demeaning. The boss makes no bones about it that he would prefer Larry there cause he knows how he wants it done and it’ll get done right.
What’s the point? I was in the barn Friday working on cameras and Larry starts singing this song. “I’m Larry the stable boy, Larry the stable boy. I used to be Larry the big strong man now I’m just a stable boy for Mr. John.” He looked up at me and said. “Do you know me? I’m just Larry the stable boy.” I said. “No your Larry the man.” Then he kind of broke down and started telling me again how he used to be, and how he is now. That’s when I realized again how much a second of stupidity or taking a chance to finish up in a hurry will cost you.
Little wake up calls like this help me to stay off the top rung or climb down when I realize my ladders moved. Remember it’s the stuff that takes a second to double check or to correct that cost you the most problems when they get passed over. Larry lives in constant pain and suffering just because a second wasn’t taken to consider what was going on.
Next time your thinking about walking on a wet roof and you think you’ve got to do it to get the job done. Don’t do it. Just sing that little song. “I’m Larry the stable boy.”
Who Dares Wins.
Edited 1/22/2005 4:51 pm ET by Gunner
Edited 1/22/2005 4:52 pm ET by Gunner
Replies
Good post..
My mom's first husband was a truck driver in Philly. Carted live turkey's in cages..2 per cage..each cage about 55lbs.
This was back in '55...somone bet him he could not shoulder 4 cages off the truck at once..being a big strapping Italian, about 26 yrs.old, he did it, no problem. Won something like a dollar a pound about 220 bucks.
Next morning mom's cooking his breakfast, she called for him..he never came outta the bedroom..she went in and found him dead, slumpep over with his boot laces in his hands..seems he had torn the left ventricle of his heart partially..when he reached down..pooof..he died.
She was 8 mos. pregnant with my brother..not a good thing for her.
Stupidity and bull headed pride kills too.
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gunner... i think i like your boss
He can be the biggest SOB you ever met. BUT he has the biggest heart of gold when he needs to.Who Dares Wins.
Tell Larry something for me
When A Man loves his daughters like that, and supports and takes care of them inspite of his own condition, he is ten times the man that many of us see on a regular basis, deserting their kids to the state, or refusing to pay child support after divorces, or just plain giving up and letting the state take care of him...
Too bad that he doesn't dig horses. Does the boss know that Larry finds it demeaning?
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He's raised two other peoples kids also. He's a hell of a guy.
The boss looks at it from another view. Larry's good with the horses and is much better at cleaning the barn then anybody he hires for it cause he cares,and is an old fashioned guy. Meaning he'll do the job correctly no matter what it is. He's using him where he fits best,in his eyes.
Larry sees it as not getting to go out on jobs and work with the guys like he's supposed to or wants to. He still goes with us when we're short handed, but for the most part he's at the shop. It isn't all about taking care of the horses. He unloads trucks and does whatever the shop foreman needs and he also works out at the farm when he's needed there. Who Dares Wins.
Thanks for the wake up message. Nice to know where your heart is too. DanT
Sounds like a Charles Dickens story. Get the movie rights while you still can!
Thanks for the message. Good reminder. I've hurt myself pretty good on the job a coupla times. Each time because I was impatient. Feeling fortunate right now.
I'll never get hurt working, cause I'm sooo freakin' lazy it makes most guys cry or scream, or both.
I'll never pick up 2, when I can get one. If I can get less than one, I will.
If a truck pulls in to get unloaded, I'll get lost FAST.
Lazy is safe. Keith
I worked changing the switch locations in a home being modified for a guy in a motorized wheel chair. He fell off a 6' ladder and snapped his spine. He can move his right thumb a bit and his head. Everything else is paralyzed. he had the switches moved to where he can operate them by using a stick held in his mouth.
Guy was only thirty something and had been a real athlete. Now he is largely trapped in a wooden body.
I think about how many times I have taken risks on ladders and scaffolds. Many much higher than 6'. How many times I have fallen and bounced back up or had only minor bruises. How many close calls. Electrical panels or connections shooting plasma and molten metal past me. The time a copper plumbing line tried to electrocute me.
The power shot that landed inches from my skull after a carpenter used too strong a load and drove the pin through the wood and steel and wall. The large load of rebar that fell off a crane a few from me.
A few seconds of carelessness can end a career. A life. Your ability to function. Forever. Lets be careful out there.
If Larry has the time and means, have him stop by here and impart some of his tales upon us. One of the biggest reasons I read Breaktime is the stories that you guys tell. There has been many a time that those stories make their way onto jobsites that I'm working on."Oh, hey, this one guy on a messageboard I read..."
Edited 1/22/2005 8:17 pm ET by xhammerandnailsx
That also should translate to driving down the road. Rummaging through your junk in the passenger seat looking for a note on a piece of scrap paper and crossing the line for a second. One day it might be at the wrong second. There's a lot of brainless acts we do every day without thinking that can cost us alot if done at the right time.Who Dares Wins.
Talked to Larry a little bit today, and thought I'd give his thread a bump. If you haven't read this thread have a look at the first post and pleas be careful with your backs.
Who Dares Wins.
Thanks for the story. Good thing to read on a day when one is feeling sorry for oneself.
Weather got you down?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!