Lesson Learned

One school year I did not earn the grades I should've earned in school. Needless to say, my dad was not pleased and thought it would be a good idea to teach me a lesson about the value of a good education. You see, aside from being a City of Memphis firefighter, my dad owned his own plumbing business. Working for him during the summers was a cakewalk because, for the most part, I drove around with him and fetched tools whenever he needed them. Dad thought I needed a little more of a wake- up call than riding around in the air-conditioned truck all day, so he put me to work with one of his contractors.

I started on my first day of summer vacation with a local irrigation company. Although this company had a great relationship with my dad, he gave them specific orders to treat me like every other employee and show no favoritism. The owners did just that. Irrigation companies have trenchers that create the ditches to lay the pipe, but they only create the hole. It takes man power to get the dirt out and prepare for the pipe lines. I was placed on said lines digging and digging from 7:30 in the morning straight into the afternoon. I did not have much conversation with the crew I was put on because, well, we didn't speak the same language. By the end of the day, I was beat, burned, and smelled something fierce. Then knowing I had to get up the very next day and do it all over again was not a reassuring feeling.

The worst part about this job, as if it wasn't already horrible enough in the first place, was when my dad stopped by a job site. I'd come over and talk to him and ask how his day was. In my mind I was pleading that he take me with him, but he and I both knew that would defeat the purpose. After he was done, he'd hop in his truck (the same one I used to hop in with him) and drive off into the sunset leaving me in a ditch with my shovel.

I learned a great lesson that summer. It wasn't "Do well in school or dig ditches the rest of your life" because you can make a fine living in the irrigation business if you really wanted. It wasn't a wake-up call to pursue a white collar job. There are many days that I wish I could be outside enjoying nature rather than reviewing reports in an office. It was that simple rule that I had heard all my life in any and every circumstance--"As long as you are under my roof, you will abide by my rules."

Lesson learned.

-Steve Childress