What I Haven’t Learned from Wine, I Learned Moving Furniture
I am one of those people that believes life lessons and wisdom can be earned from every sip (and bottle) of wine. However, before I gained a global perspective through the wine glass, I learned the workingman’s perspective through the beer mug.
For two summers in college, circa 1993 and 1994, I moved furniture for a Mayflower affiliate in Mishawaka, IN. At that time it was a well-paying summer job—$7.00 an hr with the occasional cash job earning $10 an hour when a driver came in from out of town. Those were the salad days.
The college students that worked during the summers were always welcome relief for the full-time guys – both in providing labor during the hottest time of the year and in being unwitting recipients of the old gags that had long lost their originality with the crew of regulars.
In my mind, however fanciful it may be, I imagine my furniture moving days as equivalent to being a part of a crew and working a grape harvest – back-breaking work in the elements, a mix of full-timers and newcomers with a need to be semi-skilled, and an important, time-sensitive job at hand.
I learned a lot those summers, some of which came in the form of sage advice from grizzled vets via 22 oz schooners of Bud Light at the watering hole down the street – ironically called “The Office” lounge. Spending an hour at “The Office” was a small reward after a long, hard day of work – similar to the old axiom, “It takes a lot of good beer to make great wine …”
Some of the advice passed down at “The Office” isn’t repeatable, at least not in polite company. However, some of it is … thanks to Harry, Doug, Punkin’head (seriously!), Mark, Hob and a bunch of other guys that provided valuable lessons for a young, impressionable kid – on the job and at “The Office.”
Lesson #1: The job is bigger than you
It’s not about you. Scraping your arm or dinging an antique dresser going through a door threshold? Choose wisely what is most important to you relative to what pays your bills … (skin grows back, if you need a hint).
Lesson #2: Show up, shut up and hold your end up
Be on time, don’t complain and carry your weight.
Lesson #3: Respect those in front of you.
There is a pecking order and you are at the bottom.
Lesson #4: Your day isn’t done until the job is done
It may be 5 o’clock somewhere but you don’t finish working until the job is done (and there isn’t a dinner break) …
Lesson #5: Leadership is everywhere.
A good crew leader is essential to productivity. They keep the mood light, show up well to the customer, work you hard when needed, and are the first one to give you an “atta boy” for a job well done.
Lesson #6: Have a strategy before you start
Unless you’ve seen a 7,000 square foot house fit onto a 18-wheeler based on the spatial skills of a maestro, it’s hard to understand the strategic skill that goes into loading a truck. The crew leader is often the guy that does the least amount of physical labor but he’s the guy that makes sure that everything fits and when and how it fits. Trust me, there is strategy involved to making sure the project goes smoothly.
Lesson #7: Build a solid foundation
The surest way to ruin a load? Build it on a bad foundation at the front of the truck. 45 minutes of bad work at the beginning of the day will create problems you will have to work around the rest of the day. Do it right from the get-go and save yourself problems down the line
Lesson #8: If it doesn’t fit, try it from a different angle.
If something doesn’t seem like a good fit, try looking at it from a new or different perspective and see if that helps clarify the situation. Changing your point-of-view can create fresh perspective and new solutions
Lesson #9: Did I mention—always, hold up your end
It was the cardinal sin of sins to drop a piece. Bravado is for fools. It’s better to beg off something you can’t carry than to not be able to finish a carry (see also Lesson #1)
Lesson #10 It’s easier to push than pull.
Work smarter not harder. Save the heroism for firefighters and Superman. Work the path of least resistance.
Overall, it was an invaluable experience – some of the most fun I’ve had working. The job had teamwork, camaraderie, and goal-oriented satisfaction. And, while I think wine has given me lessons in graciousness and wisdom, these lessons wouldn’t be nearly as valuable without the lessons in hard work that came first.
* Photo credit for the 1st photo
* This post was adapted from a post that originally ran at my brother’s blog, Jimlefevere.com. As college students, we both learned that “humping” meant working your tail off to move a house full of furniture.