Construction: Building Character & Memories

What did you do this past Saturday? Sat around in your sweats? Went shopping? Had coffee with your girlfriends? Not I…to any of those! Nope, I was up and at ’em on a cold, windy, damp Saturday morning to go “do construction” with my dad, brother, & T. “Do construction”, you say? Yup! In this situation we began the process to insulate and finish a portion of a machine shed to make it an office for our customer. This included lining the walls with insulating foam and cutting and installing perlins (the stringers that go from rafter to rafter) and studs to add more insulation and then finally we will install steel as the finishing touch (another day).

I was 10 when my dad started me working consturction jobs with him. He owns his own moonlighting construction company and we do projects here and there. When I was 10, my dad put me on a roof with him and started teaching me how to shingle! I know right? Shingling to start? He’s glad I stuck with him all these years.  In the last 23 years I’ve learned how to construct buildings, hang steel, replace windows, remodel kitchens & bathrooms, finish wood projects (we made a bed one winter for me out of repurposed barn wood), shingle, and frame out buildings.  I can use a circular saw, drill gun, and air nailer.

Obviously knowing how to do all these projects is exciting, having that knowledge on top of surprising people when they hear that I know how to “do construction”, but I also think of the life skills that I’ve developed.  I’m grateful that my parents taught me to be responsible and have a good work ethic and not be afraid to get your hands dirty.  On top of that I think about the memories that I’ve created with my family!  Do you want to hear the story about shingling a church one year?  Yeah, it’s a doozy!  Or, about the year that I was perched up straddling a rafter, hanging on for dear life while my dad and brother would hand perlins up to me!  Geesh!  The things I’ve done…oh boy!

While some days I grumble about using my Saturday’s to work “on the side”, but it helps fund our home improvement projects as well as creating memories.  This past Saturday while working was the first time that I realized that I actually LIKE doing this work.  I guess it just goes to prove that am still Learning As I Go.