Grandfather says he has some experience working hard and working smart.
In 1949, he worked for the Ford Motor Company on the 8N farm tractor assembly line. The 8N had a transmission cover that a hoist operator lowered onto the transmission as the tractor moved along the line. It was Grandfather’s job to set pins in the transmission bolt holes to align the cover as it was lowered, then pull the pins out and put approximately a dozen bolts in the holes, where they were tightened with an air wrench by the next assembler down the line. (These days, this is all done by automation.)
The pins and a supply of bolts were in a tray behind Grandfather who, working smartly from his point of view, saw that if he put the pins in his pocket and the bolts on the conveyor chassis below each tractor at the point each bolt was needed as the tractor approached, then he saved enough time to sit down before the next tractor arrived.
So, Ford laid off the man in the workstation before Grandfather’s. That way, Grandfather’s sit-down time could be used for Grandfather to do the laid off man’s job — but modifying it by placing the muffler hanger bolts on the conveyor (Grandfather’s method).
The United Auto Worker’s Union rep didn’t think Grandfather was very smart.
Grandfather guesses he was smart enough to figure out that if you want maximum personal gratification and benefit from hard and smart work, devise a way to be self-employed.
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About the Author: RD Blakeslee is a nonagenarian in West Virginia who built his net worth by only investing in that which can be enjoyed during acquisition and throughout life, as opposed to papers in a drawer, like stocks and bonds. You can read more about him here. This article was originally published on 30 August 2017.
Original oil painting by: Grandfather’s wife
The self-employed (and small businesses) are the backbone of our country, and there’s plenty of people out there who have skills and talent needed to earn a good income. I’m self-employed. I have no college degree. I’m considered an expert in my field and there’s plenty of work for me. I earn six figures. Still, the government needs to get the hell out of our way, and lower taxes.
Grandfather understands your frustration with government. If you think about it, most of its functions consist of telling us what we cannot do, which oftentimes hampers self-reliant people who don’t need the one-size-fits-all constraints
Very true. I enjoy your writing, sir.
Thank you. For my part, I enjoy hearing from you-all.
Now that Grandfather is three years older (and correspondingly three years feebler), he looks back at his experiences in a somewhat different way: He is unable to do much physical activity anymore and there are two ways to live with that. He can grieve about it or he can look back with satisfaction on his life and forward to telling his children about those times. He CHOOSES to do the latter. Life is full of choices and one can choose to laugh along with the wold, or cry alone.
Thank you Mr. Dave. I appreciate your words of wisdom, and encouragement.
I am able to share a little wisdom with others, and a lot of laughs. A good laugh seems to make life so much better.
Thanks, Bill.
I like to make medical people laugh when I have appointments with them. Those who know me well reciprocate. Example (Nurse giving me an injection) I say: “That sure was smooth. I didn’t feel a thing!”
Nurse: “I haven’t stuck you yet.”
Grandfather: Reminds me of an old Bob Newhart joke, from a routine back in his standup comedy days: two guys sitting in an airplane, one says to the other: “Those ARE ants, you idiot! We haven’ taken off yet!”