Two Quotes………One Story
The other day I came across two quotes. I was somewhat fascinated by each of them. One a slice of optimism and the other not so much.
From a book by Jim VanderHei: “As a country we are marinating in hate and anger.”
And from a tribute magazine honoring the late Jimmy Buffett: “It takes no more time to see the good side of life than the bad.”
The Story
It was an absolutely beautiful day on Thursday, the 18th of July. I was enjoying the day when the lights went out and the internet went out also. My quick thinking told me it was not due to an electrical storm as the sun was out and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
Next door the neighbors are having an underground pool put in. The sound of the machinery being employed provides the constant sound of progress. You’re familiar with that beeping sound made when something is backing up?
In a matter of moments, a young fellow who is instrumental to the work crew showed up and said, “we’ve hit a cable underground.” I’m not certain if Ryan is the head of operations for the work crew but in my story, he holds that position.
Ryan had already taken action and contacted a South Haven city crew who, I noticed while looking out the window, had already arrived and were on the job. Ryan indicated they would no doubt have the situation fixed in no time and we would again be up and running. For those of you not well versed in construction, “up and running” simply means the lights will be back on as well as the television and telephone. I know you knew that. Just kidding, I know very little about either construction or electricity.
The crew consisted of four men: We’ll call them Todd, Dale, Eric and Shaun for the sake of the story. And for the fact that those are their real names. As I observed them from a distance, I could hear they were talking and probably comparing their thoughts on how to best remedy this situation. Periodically I could hear them laugh.
LAUGHTER: Definition. The experience or manifestation of mirth, amusement, scorn, or joy.
LAUGHTER: Use of. Laughter is used as a signal for being part of a group – it signals acceptance and positive interactions with others.
Now the “gang” was gathered up at the outside of our house, so I walked up to see what was going on. They had followed the wire to the electrical box. Knowing next to nothing about electricity I tried to think of something to say when I got up next to these men. I could tell them the humorous quote about the headstone in the cemetery which read: HERE LIES JOHN, GREAT HUSBAND, GREAT FATHER, POOR ELECTRICIAN. Instead, I simply said, “Making any progress,” which in no way reveals my lack of electrical knowledge.
One of the fellows stepped forward and had a small box in his hand. The box he showed me had a crack in it and they had replaced it. He indicated it was good they found this as the heat generated from the electricity could have, at some point, ignited the wood the box was attached to.
A house fire is no laughing matter and what these fellows did in a day’s work was invaluable.
I hope that this note will simply convey to each of them how much I appreciate their efforts and the attitude with which they approached and ultimately remedied this problem.
Respectfully submitted:
John Mooy
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