Now That's A Good Job!

We live in a day when it seems that a lot of workers do not have much pride in their work.  I just came from an eating establishment here in West Plains and by the time I left, I was feeling so sorry for the workers because we had put them out SO MUCH by purchasing our supper.  Now this is said "tongue in cheek" but I would say, that is a common occurrence for a lot of people.  I do give allowance for people having a bad day because I have those too, but when it is every time you go...come on!

"Well what do you expect for minimum wage???"  Hmmmm... When I was 8, 9...10 years old my Dad built houses for a living.  During the summers Ralph and I would work for him and I received the good hourly wage of $1.00 (Don't bother with the comments about how someone walked five miles through the snow, uphill both ways, worked twenty hours day for two-bits a day)  That was a good days pay for a young boy in the early 70's so what did I do to earn that?  I swept the house that was being constructed and kept the inside/outside work area clean.  First, my Dad showed me the proper way to use a broom...and a dust "pan".  Then he started me at one end of the house sweeping, picking up scraps and trash and hauling it out to the burn pile.  By the time I had worked my way to the other end of the house, they had messed it all up behind me!  My Dad kept instructing me until he was satisfied with the job and corrected me when I was doing it wrong (You don't sweep sawdust down through knot holes in the sub-floor...it's food for termites!)  I learned how to stack lumber, pick a straight board, properly (there is a proper way) to start a fire in a burn pile, how to hold a board that's being cut off, how to use a tape measure and so much more.  I guess what I'm saying is, my Dad was proud of his building abilities and he would settle for no less with his employees.

Where did this peevish rant come from you ask?  Look at the picture below and tell me your first impression.  Just an old rock culvert that is in need of repair??  What you are looking at is a 2'x2' rock culvert under the old Current River Railroad grade (abandoned) that ran from Willow Springs, MO to Grandin, MO.  This is part of the grade just west of Winona, MO.  Some man or men had such pride in their work, that they built something that would last in the middle of relative wilderness.  Oh...I didn't tell you the official plans for this railroad were dated 1918 but from research this culvert could have been built as far back as the 1880's.  I looked at two such culverts in a one-half mile stretch of grade and both of them were still draining water and in relatively good shape.  That didn't happen by chance!  They were built with skill and with an eye for stability and beauty (Yes, I think they're quite handsome!).  I've had it up to my ears with the "just do enough to get by" and "You expect me to do THAT for what they're paying me??" attitudes in our culture.  America needs to get back to pride in workmanship and providing a good, honest days work for the wage we receive.

(and please don't give me the spiel about slave-driver employers...I may rant on that in a future post)