If you look out over any of our nation’s beautiful skylines,and they are beautiful,
You’re looking at more than you might realize.This is one subject that I can actually speak from a place of knowing on.It’s my job.
What you’re looking at, is white money and brown hands.
Awe inspiring,glass columns literally scraping the sky.Mortar and stone,steel rebar and wood. White thought,white planning,white financing and glory hogging, brown hands.
My email signature on my professional account,three words that wrap up the entire thing.
“communication,organization,execution”
You talk about the task, you get all the shit needed to do the task, you do the task. That is my understanding of work. The simple mantra that has kept me out of the gutter.
“Execution.” The final and most important part of the equation.
Many years ago, I was arriving to a residential job,super early,before I broke through to commercial. I was bitching to myself, about my lot in life,my place,my pay,my disappointment and dis-satisfaction …
And there was this bag, on a sheet of plywood , right outside the newly framed house.
The bag moved.
It was a sleeping bag, and there was a latino dude in it.
This mother-fucker had worked so late, that he just threw down a sheet of wood,(in November) went to sleep, got the fuck up and went back to work.
Sweat paves his way, and he executes with joy.
Humbling, like for real. I’m sitting in my heated truck,complaining to myself… And here’s a guy that slipped through our borders,illegally,just to come and sleep on a sheet of wood in the cold.To earn pennies on our dollar. Likely just to send a few back to his family,that he loves.
“Love thy fuckin neighbor”
For real, I enjoy the skylines. I really do take in the beauty. I recommend others do the same. But try to remember. Brown hands built that.
dawn 