Today I helped put new flooring in the laundry room. That meant peeling up the linolium; yes, it is about as annoying as striping wallpaper. But once we got the heat gun it went much quicker. But the best part really was working with Lenord. The guy has to be over 70 and yet he works like a guy about 1/2 his age. He never got beyond the 8th grade in school, yet he has never really been without work. He used to be a truck driver, his wife was one too. He can sight most measurements without using a tape, although he still uses on so that he is accurate. He has probably forgotten more about carptendry and mechanical engine stuff than I’ll ever know. And it’s not just college head knowledge, it’s the wisdom of experience. He told me stoires of when he was working on jobs with college grads who couldn’t read a tape measure by sight. He liked to call them “nail benders” instead of carpentenders. He has all sorts of useful tips and tricks, and he’s still working, chugging away. I can only hope I am have as alert and agile as he is when I get to be that age. And I also see this as a case for advocasy against euthenasia. Sure it sounds good on paper but it really doesn’t work out well in real life. Besides if only the young survive they’ll never learn anything.
A Geekish View of Life 