Work hard, Play hard

In the last couple of weeks I have had the opportunity to witness several people doing their jobs, ….or not. I am always amazed that not everyone agrees on the importance of an “honest days’ work”. For me, doing shoddy work or not meeting deadlines, gives me a severe case of the “guilties”. Unfortunately, some workers are immune to the “guilties” and really don’t much care if the job is done right, or even completed. They were not raised by my Mama!

Recently, my neighbor hired workmen to do some landscaping for her. Her needs and her time line were communicated very clearly to the workmen, who promptly ignored her and set their own time line and work orders. They decided to change the brick pattern that she had so carefully laid out for them, in favor of what they thought would work. It didn’t. Apparently uneven and poorly laid brick was not a problem for them, but my neighbor saw things differently and she had to fire them. Because she is a woman and not “powerful” without a man to back her up, I suspect some workmen don’t take her seriously.

This week, my personal experiences with getting hired work done were very positive. I had a garage door opener installed by a conscientious and pleasant young man who showed up on time. Imagine that! He treated me with respect and made sure I knew what I needed to know before he left. Many years ago, my husband Roger built a dividing wall in the garage to create his jewelry repair shop, and the wall needed to be demolished so I could fit my car. This was emotional for me because I am grieving his death last November. I hired someone to do this for me, and once again the work was done quickly and well. Josh had remodeled my condo a couple of years ago and I knew he consistently did superior work. How wonderful to trust him to do a job well.

I grew up with 12 siblings, yes really! Daily, we had to take turns doing the dishes and sweeping and mopping floors. We also had other chores to do, and outside farm work was mostly done by my brothers. It would have been chaotic if we hadn’t done our jobs. Even with some loud discussions about whose turn it was, the house ran smoothly most days. Sloppy work had to be done over. We each had our part to do in caring for the family. Knowing that I had to do my part was a valuable lesson. We never got away with blaming our siblings for our own laziness or lack of motivation. There were too many pairs of eyes watching you. I see you, get to work!