Winning Words 10/6/10
“I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world.” (Thomas Edison) I once visited Edison’s laboratory building in West Orange, New Jersey. It’s nothing like the labs of today. As I recall, it seemed like a place where common, ordinary, overall-people would feel at home. What kinds of people have you worked with during your career? ;-) Jack

FROM NL IN INDIANAPOLIS: I ABSOLUTELY AGREE BY 100 %. I'VE MET AND WORKED WITH SOME
REALLY REALLY SMART GUYS WHO NEVER HAD ANY TYPE OF DEGREES. IQ OFF THE CHART. FROM JACK: If I have to choose between objectivity and subjectivity, I lean toward the latter, but both are important.

FROM RI IN BOSTON: When I was at the university, Joe the janitor in our studio building (always in overalls) was a plain, down-to-earth guy, but always pleasant and helpful. He liked classical music and had his little radio playing the classics while he took coffee breaks. He also liked talking about literature and art as it motivated him. One day the dean of our college informed us he and his wife had spent the previous evening attending the Metropolitan Opera that was on tour in our city. The dean told us how surprised and impressed he was at the formal event, because sitting three rows down in front of him was Joe the janitor, dressed to the nines for the performance. That's just how versatile he was. As they say...you can't judge a book by its cover.
FROM JACK: What a great story (and example). It reminds me of the quote by MLK, Jr: “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or
Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

FROM MF IN MICHIGAN: I have worked with doctors and lawyers, nurses and teachers, firefighters and police. I felt at home with those that were humble, despite their title. FROM JACK: ...and a pastor, too.

FROM DMF IN MINNESOTA: I worked with dead people when I worked at a funeral home. FROM JACK: I'm told that some people do that, even while not working at a funeral home.

FROM PC IN MICHIGAN: Interesting, Jack. I sometimes get "surprising looks" from Police and Fire Chiefs, Senators, State Reps and even Clergy whom when I meet them (if I have met them in the past) I will greet them by their first name rather than their Title. It certainly is not that I don't respect them...I respect their position...and often the person. It is rather, that I find too many people get hung-up on the titles and that
builds egos which results in a wall to climb over. I'm not real tall. I don't build nor climb walls well. I enjoy down to earth common folk....... FROM JACK: I once knew a pastor who never called any of his members by their first name. It was always, Mr (Smith) or Mrs (Jones) or Miss (So and So). In my experience, it's been a judgment call. In reverse, it's interesting.... I'll go with what comforts the individual.

FROM SH IN MICHIGAN: My mom wanted so much for my dad (an Iowa farmer) to wear jeans instead of overalls. When my husband was going to start graduate school at Stanford, I urged him to get some nice slacks to wear to class. What did we see when we arrived at the campus but a bunch of students wearing overalls!!! That was in 1969. Dad did eventually get out of overalls and wore nothing but jeans, whatever he wore seems like it had to be denim, a great sturdy and working fabric. Edison and he might have gotten along very well. FROM JACK: I'm reminded of Hans Christian Andersen's story: "The Emperor's New Clothes."

FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: I totally agree with the friends statement. By the way—you have a great replica of Thomas Edison’s lab right in Greenfield Village. FROM JACK: I've heard that Edison and Firestone and Ford were great friends and went camping together. Yes, Greenfield Village is one of the gems of the area. The new River Walk along the Detroit River is almost complete, from downtown all the way to Belle Isle. It is outstanding. Did you ever visit the Pewabic Pottery location? Another gem.

FROM MOLINE CF:

Blame it all on my roots
I showed up in boots
And ruined your black tie affair
The last one to know
The last one to show
I was the last one
You thought you'd see there
And I saw the surprise
And the fear in his eyes
When I took his glass of champagne
And I toasted you
Said, honey, we may be through
But you'll never hear me complain

'Cause I've got friends in low places
Where the whiskey drowns
And the beer chases my blues away
And I'll be okay
I'm not big on social graces
Think I'll slip on down to the oasis
Oh, I've got friends in low places

FROM JACK: Yep, I remember that song...Friends in Low Places...and it speaks to the point.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Being a pastor and being so involved with people all your life, I'm sure you know a lot of head-nodders...and different ways of communication with your nod. FROM JACK: I've even seen a few nod off during my preaching...and be awakened by a wife's poke in the ribs. You see some interesting things from that perch.

MORE FROM JUDY: I worked in an International Department at a bank and nearly everyone there was from a different country...Greece, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Ireland, England, Turkey, to name a few. The one I had the hardest time understanding was from...England...a Mr. George Battersby. I worked in the Legal Department of the same bank and handled government levies and garnishments. I dealt with reprecessors, government officials, presidents of companies, lawyers (9) and law enforcement. And I worked on a playground where I met many wonderful kids. I also worked as a church secretary where a met, as you
can imagine...every kind of person. 've met all kind of people and I can say I've learned something from nearly everyone including patience.

FROM SG IN TAMPA: Friends from all over the world and from all regions of our country have made life very interesting and challenging. Edison's laboratory in Fort Myers seems to be the same as in Michigan. Think how smart both Edison and Ford were to spend their winters in Florida so many years ago. FROM JACK: I've been to that Florida lab; I believe that it has been replicated here at Greenfield Village. BTW, I read in the paper today that a long, cold winter is predicted for Michigan by the Farmer's Almanac. If I were smart....

FROM PRFM IN WISCONSIN: The toughest group I worked with was one summer between my Sophomore and Junior year of College . . . I worked for Carlson Roofing . . . we worked on re-roofing flat roofed factories, most of them foundries. They had a design including a cupola, which let out the heat from the factory where they were casting engines etc . . . We worked with heated pitch, which was used to hold down the roofing material. It was real tough work, and most of the workers made that work their career . . . I was a flunky,
who hoisted the hot pitch up to the roof with a pulley system, or worked on the roof carrying the buckets of pitch to the 'roofers.' Tough guys, very hot work, every third word was a cuss word, but pay was good for a college student trying to make enough in the summer to stay in school. I guess I made $1.25 an hour, which helped a lot when tuition, room and board at Carthage was about $650 a year! FROM JACK: I remember those overall days, too. We are what we were.

FROM MO IN ILLINOIS: I'll bet it was interesting to tour that Lab ...What an inventive genius Edison was! We had a man whom Bill had befriended, come to our church in overalls and work boots, and he never came back. He told Bill the people were friendly to him, but he was an overall person, and our people were not, and he felt out of place. So much for inclusion. He came into the church office and visited with Bill from time to
time, and apparently felt comfortable with him. Bill used to wear overalls to school during the depression, and his mother would cry that she didn't have dress pants and shirts to put on her boys...I don't think it damaged his psyche in any permanent way. :-) Most of us were not dressed too spiffy during the depression, actually ... FROM JACK: In this case, Bill's most effective preaching was in the office. BTW, Recently, I saw my granddaughter wearing aspiffy new pair of faded jeans with holes already in them. MORE FROM MO: I know! I'm glad that our School system bans jeans with holes in them...they are sent home to change if they wear them to school. How can they think these are cool? Ha!~They probably are, in cold weather!:-) But of course they see the celebrities in these tattered pants, and think that is hip! Oh well, the Lord looks on the heart!! FROM JACK: In your younger days you probably wore what was in style, in spite of what the old fogies said.