John P. Schulz: Find The Living Room

Quotes and Notes #304, September 4

Do the job carefully and to meet your personal standards.

“Every once in a while—and it doesn’t have to be big—do a job just to make yourself happy. Do it in a way so that when you have finished, you can stand back, look at it, and grin.—A.W. Picken, Sr. (from a conversation in 1970)—

We called him “Pop.” Looking back, I think that he probably would have been about seventy. That age was pretty old in my thinking at the time, but now, I’m about seventy and I understand.

Pop introduced me to horticulture. He didn’t mean to—he just asked me to photograph some plants in his greenhouse. My reply to his request was, “What’s a greenhouse?” He invited me to see his greenhouse and then he became a mentor. Today’s quote came from the time I asked him if he wanted a plumbing job to look good because nobody would ever see it. I listened to him. I did the job, stood back and grinned, and I understood.

Yesterday, I did a small job. I had thought about it all day. I used an array of tools that included, a Skil saw, a reciprocating saw, wood cutting blades, metal cutting blades, a drill, a screwdriver, and a hammer and chisel. I pre-fabricated the parts and then put them together. They fit like the proverbial glove.

I stood back, looked at the small project, and grinned. Then I thought of Pop and I got a small tear in the corner of my eye. Then I thought, “I think I’ll pass this story on.”

Share a story with a smile
Everything is going to be all right.
John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”