At Work The Other Day

Things were going gangbusters getting the job I was working on hardwared up. But none of the natural parts that I needed--cuttlery dividers, lazy susan shelves, spice racks and such--were ready. They hadn't been sent to the finishing room with the rest of the cabinetry. All they needed was sealing and top-coating. I alerted the foreman, Mark, to this snafu, and he said he'd see what he could do about expediting them for me.

I really like Mark. He's this big no-bullshit-ever kind of guy. Very earnest. Stingy with words of praise, but when they do come directed at you, you know you've done something great.

So a little later, I'm bent over at the waist installing a stainless steel soap tray in a sink base cabinet. Mark comes up behind me. "Dutch," he says, "all your parts are looking great!"

I stand up, turn around, smile, and reply, "Thanks Mark! Pretty good for forty, huh?"

He stands there, his mouth open, blinking at me, for a full five beats. Then he just turned and walked away. Probably unsure of what just went down.

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