Not everyone can be alone

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

For today:

Some people are not cut out to be ‘solitary workers’. My son Mark was the best worker I ever hired, bar none. There was/is one big difference in him and me, he hates to work alone.

There were plenty of times in our construction history he and I built houses, except for heating and air. Once while building a spec (speculative) home I went out to the truck to get something and there was a piece of drywall (sheetrock) with a note on it. It was written by Mark. I smiled as I read it, “Dad can I build a house?”

I carried that scrap back into the newly framed house where we were hanging drywall. He saw me with the note. I said, “Son of course you can build a house, what do you think we are doing now?” I smiled, he was uncomfortable.

He was embarrassed and said, “Would you help me start building on my own? I know where there is an empty lot. I hoped you would help me buy it for my first house.”

I told him of course I would help him get started.  He did and he built a beautiful two story house, BUT it was during the time that home loans went as high as 23%, it was near impossible to sell a house. It finally sold at cost.

Once he was on his own, he used subcontractors to build but in between subs the building site was lonely. He needed someone with whom to talk. He hired a good all-round worker who could fill in, clean up etc.  I have laughingly accused Mark of paying someone to talk to.

A person who is ‘hearing impaired or hearing challenged’ eventually gets tired of using the refrains, “HUH?  What? I’m sorry? I did not understand that? Etc!” There were times that I just shrugged or something, that would indicate to the speaker that I had understood, when I did not.

I became more of a loner, I could easily live as a recluse but Sherry does not deserve that. She NEEDS friends and a normal life.  As I type this she is with lifelong friends for her weekly few hours of comradery. She knows that I am miserable in crowds now and understands, I think. LOL

NiteShipslog

PS: I kept that small piece of drywall with Mark’s note on it for many years as a reminder of the great times we had working together.

PS2: I wrote this for yesterday’s entry, JUST AFTER WRITING I WENT TO THE BASEMENT AND MESSED UP MY BACK!  (I GUESS ALONE CAN GET YOU HURT. Lol)