Support Your Local Merchant

While walking to work today, on impulse, I take a hard right off my usual route and end up in front of a local lumber yard. Mind you, this is Times Square, so there aren't many of them left in the neighborhood. I see a guy stacking lumber and he asks me if I need help. With little or no forethought, as sometimes occurs when things that are just supposed to happen, happen, I mumble that I'm looking for a small piece of walnut stock, just something to carve up, a piece of cut off if you have it.

Fella stops and thinks for a moment and says "I think I got something up here." With that he goes to the upper level and fishes around in one corner. "All I have is this 5/12"x8'." "Thanks, no, anyway, I'm just looking for a cut-off." With that the foreman/shop manager comes over and asks what's going on? "Guy say's he's looking for a cut-off piece of walnut but all we have is this." "Bring it down and let's look at it." "No, please, I'm just looking for a piece of scrap." By now I'm starting to back out of the shop as this gorgeous walnut plank lands on the radial arm saw table and I see a big whack to the credit card coming.

"Here" the foreman says as he cuts a 12" length off of it, "we'll call it a sample." and "zing" goes the radial arm saw. On the one hand I want to give him a couple of bucks for his trouble but on the other, I don't want to insult his kindness. I thank them both profusely and leave.

On the street, I realize that I'm wearing a tshirt with a union bug whose members have been doing business with the firm for decades and that the foreman recognized the value of "good will." I also know that I wouldn't have been treated with the same respect in a big box store where employees are barely paid above minimum wage, have few skills and no job security. I have a lot more respect for an owner that trusts his employees to do their job well and gives them the latitude to do so than a corporate entity whose main concern seems to be inventory control and building security.

I went to a former place of employment where I still have access to shop tools (don't tell management) and sliced off a couple of slats on the band saw. Tonight, I'm laying out a set of scales.

It was a good day. Thought I would share it.

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I used to shape the hall, ironworkers local 45 on Newark Ave.. Right above Weber's Tavern. They called Weber's local 45 & 1/2 because that was where a lot of guys were at 7AM. Nice story, thanks for sharing it.

Really nice story thanks for sharing that. Brought back memories of when small stores were the norm. Ace hardware still has people like that. They will order things for you and help you figure out what you need for plumbing or electrical or whatever. Places like that are few and far between nowdays