4shorts
Elite Member
Well Monday started out with some roller repairs to do for the local farm plus we had three vehicles out by the door to be repaired so all was lined up for a busy week.
There is some much needed road work being done in front of our house and all along the main road. It's been going on for three weeks now. I was in the shop around 8:30 am when a worker from the road crew walked in and said " we are going to dig up in front of your driveway now. I said you can't because for one thing you gave no notice plus I have these vehicles to be repaired. To make a long story short I got enough time to get the vehicles done and picked up and they started the tear up.
While the driveway was unusable I had enough work sitting around to keep me going so I started in at it. Tuesday I was welding away and stopped for a little break when I noticed and older gent walking up our long 600 foot driveway carrying something under his arm. As he walked I couldn't help think to myself that he must have worked hard all his life because he was really bent over and each step seemed like a struggle.
As the door opened he stepped in and asked "Are you Paul". I said yes and he went on to tell me that another shop 15 miles away sent him here with a special project he was doing.
Observing the item he had under his arm he then proceeded to place it on the bench. I couldn't help but think although looking a little rough on the fabrication someone put a lot of work into it. It was constructed out of stainless steel. Looked as if it was stick welded but it looked like it was going to be a lunch box type of thing and I wondered why someone would build such a thing
I asked the polite gent what he had and that's when I wished I had the time back so I could have never asked that question.
He replied. " Paul I have bone cancer. I don't have much longer to live and I'm building an urn to put my ashes in". He went on to say that he was a weldor for 40 years and just found out about the cancer. In the 18 years I've been in business I've never got such a shock. I was actually shaking to be honest.
He had a stainless knob that he wanted welded to the urn and some of the other welds cleaned up. I thought to myself that it must be important to him because he walked so far up our driveway to get here.
I told him I'd help him out so I got the tig set up and started to do the welding. I put the knob on and he was very impressed. I repaired the hinge and made some other improvements to the thing for him. I could see he was pleased so he asked me how much for the job and I just told him that we weren't open for business because the entrance was dug up so this repair was on us.
He was very moved and shook my hand, picked up the urn and left. My wife had been gone for a few hours, we had our van parked across the street so I had told her to go shopping.
When she returned she came in the shop, took one look at me and asked " what's wrong". I told her I had looked in the eyes of a dying man and went on to tell her the story. For the rest of the day and all this week it's really bothered me. I realized after that experience having our entrance dug up is such a small issue compared to what that man is dealing with.
Yesterday we got our entrance back and life is continuing on. We got a contract to do a Canadian Coast Guard boat, I'm a few days behind on my work but I don't consider it a problem after what I've seen this week.
Sorry I don't have any photos of the urn. I thought it would be in very poor taste to take a camera out while the poor guy was there.
I just wanted to share this story with you all.
There is some much needed road work being done in front of our house and all along the main road. It's been going on for three weeks now. I was in the shop around 8:30 am when a worker from the road crew walked in and said " we are going to dig up in front of your driveway now. I said you can't because for one thing you gave no notice plus I have these vehicles to be repaired. To make a long story short I got enough time to get the vehicles done and picked up and they started the tear up.
While the driveway was unusable I had enough work sitting around to keep me going so I started in at it. Tuesday I was welding away and stopped for a little break when I noticed and older gent walking up our long 600 foot driveway carrying something under his arm. As he walked I couldn't help think to myself that he must have worked hard all his life because he was really bent over and each step seemed like a struggle.
As the door opened he stepped in and asked "Are you Paul". I said yes and he went on to tell me that another shop 15 miles away sent him here with a special project he was doing.
Observing the item he had under his arm he then proceeded to place it on the bench. I couldn't help but think although looking a little rough on the fabrication someone put a lot of work into it. It was constructed out of stainless steel. Looked as if it was stick welded but it looked like it was going to be a lunch box type of thing and I wondered why someone would build such a thing
I asked the polite gent what he had and that's when I wished I had the time back so I could have never asked that question.
He replied. " Paul I have bone cancer. I don't have much longer to live and I'm building an urn to put my ashes in". He went on to say that he was a weldor for 40 years and just found out about the cancer. In the 18 years I've been in business I've never got such a shock. I was actually shaking to be honest.
He had a stainless knob that he wanted welded to the urn and some of the other welds cleaned up. I thought to myself that it must be important to him because he walked so far up our driveway to get here.
I told him I'd help him out so I got the tig set up and started to do the welding. I put the knob on and he was very impressed. I repaired the hinge and made some other improvements to the thing for him. I could see he was pleased so he asked me how much for the job and I just told him that we weren't open for business because the entrance was dug up so this repair was on us.
He was very moved and shook my hand, picked up the urn and left. My wife had been gone for a few hours, we had our van parked across the street so I had told her to go shopping.
When she returned she came in the shop, took one look at me and asked " what's wrong". I told her I had looked in the eyes of a dying man and went on to tell her the story. For the rest of the day and all this week it's really bothered me. I realized after that experience having our entrance dug up is such a small issue compared to what that man is dealing with.
Yesterday we got our entrance back and life is continuing on. We got a contract to do a Canadian Coast Guard boat, I'm a few days behind on my work but I don't consider it a problem after what I've seen this week.
Sorry I don't have any photos of the urn. I thought it would be in very poor taste to take a camera out while the poor guy was there.
I just wanted to share this story with you all.
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