Jim has been working with a bunch of guys out at one of our friend’s places lately. He is helping build a 60’x100′ shop building. This week they are finally putting the metal sheathing on the building. They worked on walls yesterday because there wasn’t enough of the crew available to work on the roof.
Today they were all going to be there. I woke up with a strong feeling that there was going to be an accident today. Sixteen feet onto a concrete floor is a long way to fall, and I had a rather strong sense of something falling to that floor today. It made me very uncomfortable, and when Jim left to drive out there I exhorted him with more than my usual sincerity to be careful up there. He informed me that he is always careful.
As I was finishing up a massage, I was rather distressed to see him pulling into the driveway over three hours before I expected him. I met him at the back door as he came in.
“Are you okay?” I asked with some concern.
“Oh, yes. I am fine.”
“You’re home awfully early. Is everyone okay?”
“Everybody is fine. I have developed a need to go to Springfield this afternoon.”
“What’s in Springfield?”
“I have to go to Grizzly. I need a new drill.”
“You just got that drill. What happened to it?”
“Well, that drill is impact resistant. But it turns out that it was not designed to resist the impact when you drop it 16 feet onto a concrete slab.”
“I’ll bet it wasn’t.” Long pause. “So, is Bill buying you a new drill?”
“No.”
“So, you dropped your drill?”
“No. I didn’t drop it.”
“Okay, so is the guy who dropped it buying you a new drill?”
“No. I figured that I am more able to buy a new drill than the guy who dropped it is.”
“Oh! D dropped your drill.”
“Boy, it didn’t take you very long to figure that one out.”
Of course it didn’t. I know all those guys that are working out there, and D is the only one who most nearly lives without money. He is a master of barter and trade. It was pretty darned obvious who of the crew would not easily be able to buy Jim a new drill. I figure it won’t be long before D finds a good way to pay us back for it. It’s just the kind of guy he is.
It was good to learn that my premonition of disaster, falling and death was about an easily replaced cordless drill, and not a person.
the havens 