The Dopey Kid Who Used to Wear Your Clothes

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The Dopey Kid Who Used to Wear Your Clothes

The next time you look at someone else’s work and find it not quite up to your current high standards, take a minute to look backward and inward. Remember that dopey kid who helped train you. And then without laughing, use what he taught you to make the next job better.

Read the full story here

ratio

Love it!

Intplm.

A excellent story. Even better then the old saying.
"If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all.

EBEBRATT-Ed

About 15 years ago I was sent to a commercial job 4 story building to install a 3"Spirovent. I had never been to this job before (my lame defense). "There having all kinds of air problems" my boss said. This job was probably 20 years old. "They have always had problems" he said "the Spirovent will fix it"

This was in Worcester, MA and I had one of our techs from Worcester to help me. He had the "Woosta" accent.

So I am fixated on draining and getting this Spirovent into a pipe where there was no room but we got it in.

Filled the system, vented and started the pumps and boilers and the Spirovent was spewing air, we were all proud of ourselves.

But the air wouldn't go away! My Helper was on the top floor venting while I watched the boilers when he called me on the radio.

"Hey Ed something is wrong, is the pump going backwards" these vents is suckin instead of blowin"

Installed by a house plumber they had installed the pumps pumping toward the expansion tank. The upper floors were in a vacuum and had been for 20 years.

foresthillsjd

What a great story! Thanks for sharing.

Steve Minnich

We've all been there. The humbling moments are good for us. I can't count the number of times I've done things like that. I try to keep it to a minimum but the older I get the tougher it gets.

On a daily basis, I walk into to a room for a very specific reason, forget what I went in there for, and then remember the moment I get back to the room I left.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@Steve Minnich
more & more the older I get. The farther away the Truck is the more forgetful I get

icy78

I'm on the job right now where the Dopey kid was me, and I'm shaking my head in dismay.
I'm sure that won't be the last time!
Thanks for the story. Its a good one to remember.

Solid_Fuel_Man

Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and say to my younger self "hey past Taylor.....this is future Taylor.....do this instead of that! The time and money you spend now will save 10x in your future" But alas I wouldn't have listened to myself....

mars_6

One of my favorite stories Dan. Cant count the number of times I have been in that mech room. With age comes wisdom.

Stet

Thanks Dan, for putting this back up. Have always enjoyed reading!

DanHolohan

Thank Erin. ;-)

Jackmartin

When you go for your first job they ask ,do you have experience? Of course you do not have experience ,you have not lived long enough yet to make that number of mistakes! Experience is standing back and having the system you slaved over not work and wondering and pondering how am I going to make this work and hitting on a solution, after racking your brain, experience is just another word for mistake. I have met so many people in the trade who are so perfect, yeah perfect selfish a-holes.