As I have told you many eons ago...(exaggeration for emphasis) in a post on how my did never gave up, I admired him greatly.
In his early life he worked for the railroad(for a different post), farmed, and construction. I will, for this post, concentrate on after his leg was amputated.
He was grateful and to my knowledge never complained about going to work. When his stump on his amputated limb would "scald", as he called it, he would go to work in pain. I never saw him call out sick.
His job started out as a maintenance man over the big boiler that supplied the steam heat to the entire Central State College. I remember going down to the boiler with sandwiches and drink with my mom for him in the evenings. The boiler was huge. Lots of gauges, the roar of the fire, it was awesome for a girl of 9. At least it was all with natural gas, and not back when they had to "stoke it with wood".
When an opening came as Supervisor in the Air conditioning department, he had the knowledge from his school, and the confidence of his employers because of his work ethic.
He got the position. For nine years he worked in the A/C department of the College. He became friends with most of the professors and kept their home units working too. He loved his job. It was of great loss to him when he broke his hip bone of his amputated leg and had to retire as disabled.
Life is good when you love your work.
Great photo. Man's father was a maintenance man for the school system for years, he could fix anything, air conditioning, heating, plumbing, you name it. I am thinking of writing my Sharing a Slice on Man's great-grandfather tho. Gotta get working on that.
ReplyDeleteHummer, I just read your first post on your dad and now this one. What a wonderful man. Very sad that he broke his hip bone and had to retire, bet it was tough for him.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't seen that pic before. Wish he wasn't so blurry in it. He was a looker. ;)
ReplyDeleteHe didn't quit working when he retired either. He just focused on the farm instead! :D
Hummer, I wonder if the "scald" as he called it, was due to nerve damage. My mum was a nurse and mentioned that amputees would still have "itchy toes" or feelings in a limb that they no longer had. I suppose nowadays the doctors would explain it better. And I agree with Texasblu - he was a looker! :-)
ReplyDeleteNothing like a good old dad for the daughter. Especially one who hung in during labor. And swaping stories at that time too. Marvelous.
ReplyDeleteMy babies were both breech. So I didn't know much until I woke up. As much as they love their little boys they love their little girls too.
Thanks guys for the comments. Jo, He did experience the Phantom pains of his leg before, but the scald was blisters from the sweating of his stump in the woolen sock that he wore between him and the wooden leg.
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