Last week I started sharing with you the fact that I have fine print in my contract to no longer do volunteer handyman work for many people including working around church. It has also come to my knowledge that many people do not understand why. Even though I have ran this story before, many people forget.
I'm a hard worker, I provide for my family, I love my wife and kids, I love God, Country and Apple Pie but for some reason people tend to love me but they do everything they can to avoid letting me do things with my hands. It's really difficult for me to understand why?
Even the little things in life people try to steer me away from. As an example I spent a weekend with my cousins, The Osgood Clan and their kids at our ranch and they wouldn't even let me make coffee! I like my coffee real strong and when we ran out of a pound of coffee after only two pots they made me stop making it! I kept wondering why I caught Uncle Marvin stuck to the ceiling the next morning. He blamed it on my coffee and said it was too strong. It probably gives him gas. Anybody that I have made coffee for has never wanted a second cup.
One Christmas I received a brand new set of carpenter tools from my Mom and Dad for Christmas. I was proud of my tools and I built a brand new tool box as my first project. I was about sixteen and I had already begun my working career as an auto mechanic. I worked for Clement Patzke in Hufsmith and I then went to work for Johnny Reeves on Kuykendahl. Johnny had a lady friend who needed some doors cut off at the bottom as she had bought new carpet for her home.
I informed Johnny I would be glad to do this carpenter work as I had a new set of tools I wanted to try out.
I arrived at the ladies home and promptly removed the door and took it outside carefully cutting off a quarter of an inch. I re-hung the door and noticed it was still dragging. The door was an entry door to her bathroom and was connected to a hallway which made for close working quarters.
I took the door down again and carefully marked and removed another quarter of an inch. I re-hung the door and it still dragged the carpet!
I removed the door again and knowing I had plenty of room for cutting, I then removed one inch. I carried the door back into the house and once again the door still dragged the floor!
The television show Candid Camera was real popular and I really began to wonder about this door and I slowly looked around several corners for a possible camera. I even considered the possibility of the home having a cracked foundation and was settling quite quickly.
Once again I removed the door and promptly removed two inches knowing full well this had to be enough regardless of how fast this home may be settling!
Carrying the door back in, I hung it in place and, well, you guessed it, it was still dragging!!!!
Falling against the wall in frustration I rested my back and head against the sheetrock as my eyes scanned the three plus inches of sunlight shining across the top of the door......
The lady was real kind to me. As she tried to keep from laughing her comment was, "I always wanted to look out the top of my door while in the bathroom!!!"
I picked up my tools and politely dismissed myself from her home.
Clifford
