Praise Indeed

[Bothy_Loon]

Hello folks
Have not been on the Forum for a while. Truth to tell I have not been feeling too good. The old bones are playing up.
Got something today though that perked me up.
A few years ago I took on a young Spaniard as a labourer in the mill. He had a CV longer than my arm ( But then Scotsmen are renowned for short arms & deep pockets )
Abel was way over qualified for labouring having been to universities in Spain, Sweden & the UK.
Anyway there was something about him I liked so I gave him a job. Was not long before he started asking for something better to do than labouring but I just kept putting him back to it. Truth to tell I wanted to test his staying power. After about 6 months I decided he was OK & then started to try to find him a better job within the company. This I managed. Got a email from him today saying he had won the TTJ ( Timber Trades Journal ) award for achievment. Seems he had gone up against 25 others & had won outright.
The bit that brought a lump to my throat was when he said that part of the award was mine for all the help & advice I had given him. Seems he had had a fool idea about leaving the timber trade & working with me had made him change his mind. Said lots of other things too but I am too humble to share them.
I am sure you will all be with me when I say good luck to him.
This has come at a time when having given 40 years to the timber trade I am seriously thinking of getting out.
Seems I will be leaving a legacy 
Bothy Loon

[Tom]

It's a wonderful thing when you leave a positive trail behind you as you go through life, Bothy Loon.  Congratulations on your legacy.  With an attitude like that, you may be leaving more than you've recognized and stand the chance of leaving more in the future.   Caring about your fellow man is one of the greatest legacies a man could leave.

I bow down to you for such success.

[Bothy_Loon]

Thank you big man.
I have been accused of caring too much for my fellow man. I am usually on the side of the underdog which suits me just fine.
Bothy loon

[CHARLIE]

That was a pleasant note to read.  When a person helps someone and that person took the time to give his appreciation is worth a lot.  No one can ever take that graditude away either. Congratulations Bothy_Loon. 8)

[rebocardo]

You can never tell where kindness and giving someone a chance will lead. Sometimes you get burned, sometimes you don't. It is the dont's that do make it worthwhile. I think it is the few successes that keep many school teachers going today. Having a student or former employee earn an industry award is a great thing 

[DanG]

The knowledge that you have had a positive impact is usually enough to give you a bit of gratification, but to have it acknowledged like that is really special.

Good on you for bringing the lad along properly and sharing your knowledge with him.  Good on him for realizing your importance to his success and giving you the credit you deserve. 8) 8)

I don't really know you, Bothy Loon, but I just have a feeling that as long as you can sit in a chair and point, you'll be a value to the timber trade.  Think about it long and hard before you bail out. ;)

[Bothy_Loon]

Thats just it DanG I do not want to sit in a chair & point. If I am no longer going to be fit enough to do a days work at the mill then I might as well get out.
Had a good day yesterday no pain, first time in weeks. But back to the hobbling about today.Even had to stop to ease the leg when walking round the yard this afternoon. Can see lots of things I could be doing & am not able to. That hurts just as much as the pain in my back/leg/stomach.
Bothy Loon

[JimBuis]

He had a CV longer than my arm ( But then Scotsmen are renowned for short arms & deep pockets )Bothy Loon

Bothy_Loon,
This is a very touching story. I thought I'd help my fellow Americans with a bit of translation so they can better understand your story.  CV is an abbreviation for Curriculum Vitae which translates to what we Americans would commonly call a resume.

I know you guys were wondering.

Jim

[Tom]

I didn't know.  Thanks.

Sometimes I forget that I'm reading something from another society.  We might be real close, in this instance, but there are still lots of differences.   I'm still practicing my canadian, eh?

Actually, when I read CV, my mind said Rap Sheet.  Big difference, isn't it.  :D

Where did you learn all that good English, Jim, in Japan? :D :D

[JimBuis]

"Where did you learn all that good English, Jim, in Japan?"

Actually, in a way, I did.  We met a dear New Zealander friend here in Tokyo.  Being an HR manager for awhile, she asked me to help her with her CV. Having done a bit of "mechanicking" as well I though Constant Velocity joint. Oh, she must have a car problem she wants my help with!?!  That's when I learned that she meant resume. ;D

I been getting smarter ever since. Only problem is it ain't happening quick enough.

Jim

[DanG]

Thats just it DanG I do not want to sit in a chair & point.

I know just what you're saying.  I didn't get into this game until I was 55, so I will never build the credentials that you and a lot of others here have.  But I think I can address the aging issue.  I am 60 now, and not in such bad shape, but I can't do what I could do just a couple of years ago.  Well truthfully, I can, but if I do, I can't do anything at all the next day.  So I have to pace myself, and set my goals a little lower and push my deadlines out a little further.  But, I'm still having fun and satisfying my humble little urges to produce something that is worth having.  I imagine that I will continue to slow down, but I'm determined to remain productive at some level.   I suppose I am fortunate, in a way, because I'm still new enough at this to get excited over making a particularly nice board, or at discovering some little technique that many of you have known about for years.  But, you are fortunate in another way.  You have the advantage of experience, skill, and knowledge that is only gained by a lifetime of doing what you love.  If your bones are telling you to stop abusing them, then maybe you should concentrate on passing all that knowledge on to others, just as you did with the young man mentioned above.  After all, the only reason for living is to make a contribution, and you have one whale of a contribution to make!  If the time comes when all you can do it sit in a chair, would you like to point, or just sit there? ;D

[Bothy_Loon]

Wise words DanG
What else can I say
Bothy Loon

[sawguy21]

The part about the CV being longer than your arm had me wondering too.  That is a common refernce about a rap sheet.:D Seriously, his sucess and recognition of your contribution is a great story. I cannot think of a more satisfying reward.  smiley_clapping

[PineNut]

DanG
I have a few years on you but only got my mill last winter. Had too much Katrina wood. Guess you might say got it for myself and my son. He is going to build in a couple of years when he retires from the Air Force. I can't push as hard as I could a few years ago but I keep going and getting things done.  I know my level of activity will decrease over the years but When the day comes that all I can do is sit in a chair, they might as well start digging a hole for me.

[isawlogs]

 
  I hope that some day I can tell a story like this , just thinking one can or has influenced  someone like that sure makes me proud to know him .  Congrates Mr. Bothy Loon  Hope you learn how to point , cause I am sure that there will be someone to look at the direction in wich you point . 

[Bothy_Loon]

Maybe i am going to have to learn to point.
The legs folded under me twice today. It is getting a bit scary.
Bothy loon

[DanG]

DanG!  I wasn't talkin' about the pointing as a current event.  I was thinking a few years down the road.  Are ya seeing a Doc about this, or have ya just wore the poor things out?  Whatever the case, don't get too close around the saw.  It could be downright embarrassing to have yer right half wonderin' where yer left half got off to. ???  Meanwhile, have ya thought of a golf cart or the like to take on the major miles around the yard?  You could just look at it as another tool.  Ya didn't take all them logs apart with yer teeth, ya used a tool.  A cart would be the same...just another tool to help ya get the job done. ;)

The way I see it, we got three things:  Body, Mind, and Spirit.  Sometimes the body gives it up, and there ain't much we can do but adjust to it.  Sometimes the mind goes away, and there just ain't anything to do about it.  But the spirit is our own individual responsibility.  We just can't allow that to get away from us, no matter what!  Now I ain't really worried that you would let that happen, it just felt good to say it. ;D

[Bothy_Loon]

Fell over twice again today. Its not the knees that are the problem its the lower back. I seem to lose a bit feeling in my legs then I just fa doon.
I canna see me running round the yard in a buggy either.
The spirit definately has not gone. Some would say the mind went years ago.
This brings me back to the reason of this thread.My legacy of the Spaniard.
Thats the success story. I have another lad at the moment who I trained on the bandmill & he too is coming along nicely.
The one that will never sit easy on me is the 19 year old that I was trying to help when nobody else would. Seems I did not do enough as he took his own life. That too is part of my legacy.
This is getting a bit heavy.
Next week I have some Douglas Fir 26ftx10inchx9inch beams to saw for bridge building work. Better watch I dont get too near the saw as she is a horizontal band!
Bothy Loon

[DanG]

Ahh!  Sounds like you have a pinched nerve.  That can be easily corrected in lots of cases.  I had a problem like that 25 years ago.  I was getting a numbness in one leg.  Finally figured out the chair I sat in to relax in the evening had weak springs in one side.  Changed chairs and the problem went away. 8) 8) 8)  It could be as simple as that, or your truck seat, or mattress.  Of course, it could always be a serious medical problem, too.  Hope for the truck seat, though, 'cause it would be a great excuse to get a new truck. ;D 8) 8)