When Angie and I first got married, I was still a teacher. It was June, and I had the summer off, so Allie, MaryBeth and I had a few months to learn about each other and settle into the rhythm of our new life together. In my usual fashion, I began with lots of theories about parenting, and zero actual experience. One afternoon we were in the backyard when I heard a truck pull up out front. It was our oil delivery company. The man driving was wearing overalls that were shiny from frequent contact with their product, and a beard as thick as a squirrel's tail. He nodded a hello to us as he dragged the big hose Into the yard and got to work pumping heating oil into the pipe at the rear of the house, about twenty feet from where we were playing. Once the coupling was set and the oil was flowing he turned his attention to us. "You're off from work today, huh?" He asked. I explained I was a teacher and had the summer off. "That's great," he said. "Do you like your job?" I told him I did. It seemed natural, then, to ask if he liked HIS job, so I did. He lit up like a Christmas tree. "I love my job," he said. He spoke with such fervor and conviction I was thrown for a moment. He must have seen the thoughts behind my eyes, because he squinted at me and asked, "Don't you believe me?" I told him I had no reason not to, but since I had no experience doing what he did, I wasn't sure what, exactly, he loved about his line of work. He laughed. "Oh, you think my job is driving an oil truck, don't you!" Now I was really confused! The overalls...the big hose pumping oil...the truck rumbling softly out front. What else was I supposed to think? "It's not?" I asked. "Nah. My job," he began to explain, and here his eyes sparkled even more, and his chest filled with pride and joy, "my job is feeding my kids and putting a roof over their heads. Same job as you got. In my life it looks like an oil truck. In yours it's a classroom. Best damn job in the world, ain't it?" I nodded, watched him uncouple the hose, recoil it on the truck, and smile and wave as he drove away. He delivered our oil that day, but more importantly, he delivered me into a new mind. I left teaching a year later and took a position in a non-profit office. After six years there, I left to launch a freelance writing career. I've been able to do these things because of that man and what he revealed to me that day. I still have the same job. Same as you. Taking care of the people we love. Some days I do it better than others. My co-worker is awesome to work with (and she's cute as hell). Best damn job in the world. Happy Thanksgiving.
On Nov 27, 2015 Jim Malone wrote:
When Angie and I first got married, I was still a teacher. It was June, and I had the summer off, so Allie, MaryBeth and I had a few months to learn about each other and settle into the rhythm of our new life together. In my usual fashion, I began with lots of theories about parenting, and zero actual experience.
One afternoon we were in the backyard when I heard a truck pull up out front. It was our oil delivery company.
The man driving was wearing overalls that were shiny from frequent contact with their product, and a beard as thick as a squirrel's tail. He nodded a hello to us as he dragged the big hose Into the yard and got to work pumping heating oil into the pipe at the rear of the house, about twenty feet from where we were playing.
Once the coupling was set and the oil was flowing he turned his attention to us.
"You're off from work today, huh?" He asked.
I explained I was a teacher and had the summer off.
"That's great," he said. "Do you like your job?"
I told him I did. It seemed natural, then, to ask if he liked HIS job, so I did.
He lit up like a Christmas tree. "I love my job," he said.
He spoke with such fervor and conviction I was thrown for a moment. He must have seen the thoughts behind my eyes, because he squinted at me and asked, "Don't you believe me?"
I told him I had no reason not to, but since I had no experience doing what he did, I wasn't sure what, exactly, he loved about his line of work.
He laughed. "Oh, you think my job is driving an oil truck, don't you!"
Now I was really confused! The overalls...the big hose pumping oil...the truck rumbling softly out front. What else was I supposed to think?
"It's not?" I asked.
"Nah. My job," he began to explain, and here his eyes sparkled even more, and his chest filled with pride and joy, "my job is feeding my kids and putting a roof over their heads. Same job as you got. In my life it looks like an oil truck. In yours it's a classroom. Best damn job in the world, ain't it?"
I nodded, watched him uncouple the hose, recoil it on the truck, and smile and wave as he drove away.
He delivered our oil that day, but more importantly, he delivered me into a new mind. I left teaching a year later and took a position in a non-profit office. After six years there, I left to launch a freelance writing career.
I've been able to do these things because of that man and what he revealed to me that day. I still have the same job. Same as you. Taking care of the people we love.
Some days I do it better than others. My co-worker is awesome to work with (and she's cute as hell).
Best damn job in the world.
Happy Thanksgiving.
God bless!
Jim Malone
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