Stretching Question Four...of Five

Every day in the shipyard workers gather in manageable groups of a few dozen, generally separated according to the various trades, and "stretch". Along with dozens of other fitters, and a contingent of invading welders, I stand outside in whatever weather is beholden and go through a series of ligament warming, muscle waking and bone bending exercises designed to prepare our bodies for a safe and productive day.

During this grind, one of the leaders begins to ask us some of the FOUR questions we should ask ourselves throughout the day.  A QUESTION FIVE always comes to my mind on these occasions.  I will get to that in good time.

Please read QUESTIONS ONE ,TWO and THREE before going on.

QUESTION FOUR:

"How can I waste time and effort today?"

This may seem like a no brainer for most of us who use Facebook!  Trolling through line after line of other people's timelines and photos and status updates; watching YouTube and WIMP videos; posting dumb jokes and leaving inane comments.  What?  That's just me?  OK, but you know what I mean.  It is so very easy to waste time online.

But it is not much harder to misspend valuable time in the shipyard.  A lot of the lost time is management's idea.  Like the "rollback" we had Friday morning.  For the sake of "slips trips and falls" prevention, hundreds of guys spent the first hour or so of the day rolling up every gas line, air line, welding lead, extension cord and  CO2 hose in the yard.  Fine.  And nobody was hurt in the process.  Then what?  You guessed it.  We then took all of those nice coils off the rack and once again, stretched out the lines we needed to get back to work.  I do appreciate the effort to keep us safe, but probably 80% of the gear went right back where it was .
Yesterday I went through a hundred yards of tunnel grinding off stars, as per orders.  I thought I'd be extra efficient as long as I was dragging the airline, by bringing a needle gun and prepping for a brace plate install (wouldn't you?) at the same time.  I even got a nice "atta boy" when I told the leadman what I had done.  So this morning I was told that I had to go through the same tunnel again because the mouseholes needed attention with a pencil grinder too!  I coulda woulda shoulda done that yesterday as well!

So much for management's contribution.  But none of us really need their help in wasting time or effort.  The attitude of workers everywhere (that I have been) is generally very self-interested, and not so much company-interested.  We find excuses to take walks up to the tool room.  We plead "safety" to get some one more "qualified" to move something or install a string of lights, when we could easily manage the task ourselves.  And each man knows exactly how many minutes he can quit early without getting in trouble, or where to hide out while waiting for the break time whistle to blow.

The instruction in the picture was meant for the object in the box.  It should not be "hidden" in the back of some rack.  But I took the picture, in a building frequently used as a hiding place.

How many months or years of our lives do we squander by pursuing pointless goals?  I like to challenge myself as much as anybody, and in a wide variety of ways, but can I really afford the countless hours it would take to excel at chess or singing or...writing, when there are real needs being left unmet all around me?

Jesus said one thing before He ascended.  "Go and make disciples."  Maybe he actually said "Go and watch Andy Griffith reruns till you have them all memorized" but something was lost in the translation?  I'm afraid not.  If there was something else He might have added to supplement His instruction, perhaps "Do Not hide" might have been it.

So while we reach out an arm and pull back on our fingers, let's think about QUESTION FOUR, and soon we will get to my very own QUESTION FIVE.


How can I waste time and effort today?

I could need a bathroom break, again.

I could stop and talk to everyone I pass.

I could do everything the way it's always been done.

I could always do things the easy way.

I could just do what I want to do.

I could think only of myself.

I could make sure I'm always "entertained".

I could trust that someone else will do the important stuff.

I could be careless.

I could be a perfectionist.

Spending time badly is probably worse than misusing resources.  There may even be a tipping point beyond which a certain amount of recycling is counterproductive (there, I said it) for that matter.



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Stretching Question Three of...Five

Every day in the shipyard, workers gather in manageable groups of a few dozen, generally separated according to the various trades, and "stretch." Along with dozens of other fitters, I stand outside in whatever weather is beholden and go through a series of ligament warming, muscle waking, and bone bending exercises designed to prepare our bodies for a safe and productive day.

During this grind, one of the leaders begins to ask us some of the FOUR questions we should ask ourselves throughout the day. A QUESTION FIVE always comes to my mind on these occasions.  I will get to that in good time.

Please read QUESTIONS ONE and TWO before going on.

QUESTION THREE:

"How can I hurt any tools or equipment today?"

Yes, things are people too! Or something like that.  Ok so it's people first and THEN things.  But you will notice that things do have an important place in the pecking order.  They come third.  People are second, right after GRANDKIDS!

The shipyard has an important interest in the tools and equipment they supply. And they let us know. On his first day each man is issued a basic set of tools necessary for the completion of his duties.  I remember feeling like I had won the jackpot!  I walked into the North Tool Room (NTR) in my brand new shiny red helmet and was assigned a fancy set of long blue fire retardant gloves, another pair of leather gloves, a flashlight, a striker, a hammer, a torch, a green face shield, a 9"grinder and a 4"grinder, ear plugs, a clear face shield, a welding whip, a welder's helmet, a stick ruler, a tri-square, a center punch, green sleeve protectors, a fairing lens, a paint marker, a soapstone, knee pads, a jitterbug, a needle gun, and a great big steel tool box in which to stash it all.  I stood there waiting for my very own fork truck to haul this pile awayfor me but they just laughed meanly and bade me go find a couple of old steel 5 gallon buckets.

These were all mine?  I love tools!  But my euphoria quickly turned to a watchful dread when I was told "Oh, by the way, if ANYTHING is missing when lay off time comes, you'll be charged twice the going price for each item, so don't let anything out of your sight."  Oh.

This deliberate policy transfers care of each toolular item from the company to the worker. Consequently, while some important work is accomplished every day, among the average shipyard worker, very little supersedes tool-watching!  The good care of each tool is easily measured by the amount that might be removed from a future paycheck.  Who wants to hurt or lose any tools?  I sure don't!

Some of "their stuff"

The other category of inanimate object that we are expected to protect from harm is the company's own equipment.  This is not supplied directly to any one worker, but is simply available for general use whenever or wherever it is needed.  Hoses for air powered tools, gas lines for torches, power leads for welding and electric extension cords fall into this department.  Such lines are dragged out and left running across decks, around sharp corners, and subjected to major streams of molten sparks.  Hoses are driven over, walked on, pinched and cut in two on a regular basis.  But who cares?  They just belong to the company and such abuse gives old Chuck, the hose repair guy, work until he's 105 just to get through the current mountain of broken, burnt and battered hosiery.

I might suggest, though it would be very impractical, that each man be assigned a number of hoses in each category.  The repair pile would disappear and Chuck would have to find another job.  All because people gladly take care of stuff that they have to pay for, or have paid for; but care very little about what has been given them cost free.

As you lean forward and slowly pull that hamstring, ponder QUESTION THREE.

How can I hurt any tools or equipment today?

My Tools
I could make sure I have no ownership.
I could stop guarding my stuff from thievery.
I could lend out my tools without regard to past delinquencies.
I could use whatever is in my hand as a hammer.
I could give and give and give and give...and never receive anything back.

Their Equipment
I could actually care less, and be careless.

I could remind myself that "this ain't mine!".
I could let the next generation of shipfitters pay the bill.
I could pretend that the rich company can afford anything!
I could simply imagine that nothing I can do will save the company resources.
I could go get a new pair of gloves every day.


Good stewardship, the Bible calls it, is essential for the maximum use of all important resources.  Whether it be heating oil, drinking water, electricity, jobs, hoses or even a pair of big blue fitter gloves; every item should be preserved and fostered and used to meet its utmost potential.  And whether something is "mine" or "theirs" must not matter; let everything we have or use be considered as a gift to be appreciated and cultivated.


Please leave a comment.

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Stretching Question Two of...Five

Every day in the shipyard, workers gather in manageable groups of a few dozen, generally separated according to the various trades, and "stretch." Along with dozens of other fitters, I stand outside in whatever weather is beholden and go through a series of ligament warming, muscle waking, and bone bending exercises designed to prepare our bodies for a safe and productive day.

During this grind, one of the leaders begins to ask us some of the FOUR questions we should ask ourselves throughout the day.  I have come up with an additional QUESTION FIVE to ask myself every day, but first...

You might want to read about question one here before going on.

QUESTION TWO:

"How can I hurt my partner today?"

This question can more readily be taken wrongly by those who do not get along with their assigned partner!  But there would be SO much paperwork required, so I might as well go along with the spirit of the question and see what I can do to protect him from an accident.

Many jobs in the shipyard could be done by one person working alone, but we are almost always paired up.  Two heads are better than one, they say; two backs are stronger together than separately, has been said much more eloquently in the Proverbs; and most importantly, if one guy is on fire the other guy can put him out or at least let him know so he can put himself out.  Just the other day I put out a very small fire that was growing on my partner's shoulder.  He did not know (yet), because he was wearing his welding helmet, that a hot spark had landed in a cozy spot on his new sweatshirt.  Several times I have let people know that the frayed cuff of their jeans was ablaze, and at least once, I was kindly informed that my boot needed no more kindling.

We are told to "SLAM" our jobs every day.  Stop, Look, Assess and Manage the work in order to accomplish each task with safety.  This goes for myself and for my partner.  Oftentimes, the other perspective on a job is vital.  Standing back while he climbs or reaches or is buried behind a dark shield, I can see a potential danger before it goes kinetic on him.  (But what if I don't like my partner and I want to actually SLAM him?  Oh, never mind.)

How dependent on you is your "partner"?  Or your neighbor?  Or maybe a sibling that nobody in the world knows like you do?  Even that stranger texting and walking off the curb so carelessly.  The little girls playing on the dock without life preservers on.  Have you overheard someone say that they "just don't care anymore" and then stood by while their desperate apathy overpowers your otherwise caring heart?

Pull your left arm across your chest (one of our stretching exercises) while you think about QUESTION TWO.

How can I hurt my partner today?

I could stop paying attention.
I could focus on myself.
I could be careless.
I could neglect my duty.

I could ignore his pain.
I could do my own thing.
I could stop listening to her.

I could be rude.
I could be mean.
I could be unjust.

I could slander him.
I could accuse her.
I could abuse him.
I could hate her.

I could settle for enduring.
I could settle for waiting.
I could merely tolerate.




Even if we live alone, we do not live in isolation.  Someone depends on you.  Your kindness to a stranger, your encouragement to a close friend obviously weary and burdened, even your rebuke and your strong boundaries to those most intimate, are needed desperately by the people in your circle.  Ask Question Two this way: How can I help, and NOT hurt, my partner today?

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Stretching Question One of...Five

Every day in the shipyard, workers gather in manageable groups of a few dozen, generally separated according to the various trades, and "stretch." Along with dozens of other fitters, I stand outside in whatever weather is beholden and go through a series of ligament warming, muscle waking, and bone bending exercises designed to prepare our bodies for a safe and productive day.

During this grind, one of the leaders begins to ask us some of the FOUR questions we should ask ourselves throughout the day.  I have come up with an additional QUESTION FIVE to ask myself every day, but first...

QUESTION ONE:

"How can I hurt myself today?"

I know; this question sounds suspicious.  "Why should I be looking for ways to hurt myself?" I wonder.  But the real meaning of the query is not really too far hidden.  Our supervisors want us to ask ourselves again and again, "Will the job I am about to do hurt me in some way, and if so, how can I avoid such an unfortunate consequence?"  Less suspicious, but harder to say when you're trying to touch your toes (WITHOUT bending your knees!).

This is in fact a very good question to ask in the shipyard where a guy like me might step off the deck of a ship and fall 40 feet to the concrete bottom of the dry dock, or inadvertently walk into an open manhole, or even klunk my head going through a tunnel.  I could easily forget to flip my welding shield down before striking an arc and thus burn my little retinas, or potentially leave off my protective sleeves and catch some hot slag on my left forearm a few inches below my wrist on a Tuesday morning...for example (The burn would certainly be healed and resolved by now, thank you for asking.).

More importantly, we should all consider such a question outside of the ship yard's chain link gates as well.  Stuff happens. And we must pay attention. As adults we appreciate the lessons our parents taught us so long ago don't we?   I know I still look both ways before I cross the street because this issue of potential danger was so well ingrained in me by their realistic and protective tutoring. But there are so many more dangers, not so readily identified as those we learned of as toddlers, that we must be prepared to counter every day.

There are many terrible hazards we modern folk have trivialized.  We have dangerously dismissed the idea that anybody can actually be hurt by the choices they make.  Those who dare to give warnings are mocked.  Those societal pesks who spend their lives suffering from the dire consequences of bad decisions are ignored or minimized or judged to be weak.  Some spend years rationalizing the harm done by bad parents, and end up repeating the awful pattern.  Others resist following such trails but gird themselves with bitter hatred, and live their lives linked to perpetrators by chains of unforgiveness.

Stretch yourself a little and let's answer QUESTION ONE as if it were meant the way it sounds.

How can I hurt myself today?

I could disobey my parents.

I could ignore my teachers.

I could hate cops.

I could refuse to vote.

I could "experiment".

I could embrace pornography.

I could start smoking/drinking/gambling/using drugs.

I could drop out of school.

I could quit my job.

I could move back home.

I could marry carelessly.

I could disdain my vows.

I could commit adultery.

I could divorce my spouse.

I could abandon my kids.

I could believe whatever I wanted to.

I could listen to fools.

I could dismiss God.



Better to work in the shipyard blindfolded, than face life without heeding good instruction.
By not listening to important warnings, I have often "hurt myself," but thankfully, have found that God can, and wants to redeem what I have lost.

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