We finished cutting posts and poles. We\u2019d cut more than our goal. My father loved hard work. He claimed \u2018twas soothing to his soul.
\nHe looked for teaching moments and today would be that kind. So, while driving home he taught me what was nagging in his mind.
\nHe didn\u2019t waste a moment. Told me, \u201cLazy is a crime. So, when you\u2019re out there on the job, show up and be on time.\u201d
\nHis lecture was so familiar that I memorized each word. And listened so intently for advice I hadn\u2019t heard.
\nHe said, \u201cThe Great Depression left its mark as you can tell. Back then a job was \u2018bout as scarce as snowball fights in hell.
\n\u201cAnd if you found a job, you\u2019d be the lucky one for sure. Others weren\u2019t as blessed, and they were hungry, tired and poor.
\n\u201cBut some would rather go without, than being on the dole. Welfare was a nasty word. Yet, hunger took its toll.
\n\u201cSo, when they saw their little ones with nothing left to eat, they\u2019d humbly ask assistance, head down looking at their feet.
\n\u201cThe desperate men would ask if there was work that they could do to pay for any food or clothes, or bills that might be due.\u201d
\nAnd then my father said, \u201cOur young ones don\u2019t know how to work. Their parents hand \u2018em everything which drives me plumb berserk.
\n\u201cNext time you\u2019re on the job and feeling like you\u2019ve got it tough. Just take this little test and, yes, you\u2019ll find it might be rough.
\n\u201cSkip a meal and visualize there ain\u2019t no food for free. Your job\u2019s what keeps you eating. Then try skipping two or three.
\n\u201cAn empty belly makes a man appreciate a meal. Remember while you\u2019re working how your stomach made you feel.
\n\u201cYour job is what you make of it. So, try to make it last. You\u2019re better off than all those men who grew up in the past.
\n\u201cAnd when you\u2019re out there on the job. Don\u2019t waste the boss\u2019s time. Demonstrate some interest if you plan to make a dime.
\n\u201cSo, always bear in mind that you will work for what you get. \u2018Cuz a freebie
\nsteals your soul while someone else will pay the debt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Bryce Angell<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We finished cutting posts and poles. We\u2019d cut more than our goal. My father loved hard work. He claimed \u2018twas soothing to his soul. He looked for teaching moments and today would be that kind. So, while driving home he taught me what was nagging in his mind. He didn\u2019t waste a moment. Told me, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":479,"featured_media":20768,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","_pvb_checkbox_block_on_post":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160,2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-22911","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cowboy-poetry","8":"category-commentary"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/479"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22911"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22912,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22911\/revisions\/22912"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}