Priorities

Note from the blogger: Dad is no longer able to use a computer to get to the blog. I have been reading them to him when I am in Wyoming, but when I am not, probably no one does. I will however keep writing to the blog. Please send me emails of stories you have about Dad. My brother or I will read them to him, or keep them for posterity.

For those who have sent emails, or commented on the blog – I have read everyone of them to him. I did not change a word – and he laughed, and he cried. Dad has many wonderful friends and family – and as he has tried to tell me – a better memory than most of them
:-)

Thanks - Craig

On to the blog!

I hate it when some one tells me what my priorities are. It might be a managerial thing – it might be a parental thing. I don’t like my kids telling me “this is the way it is” anymore than my parents. When it comes to my boss I simply have to “eat it” with the words “works for me” – even if it doesn’t.

I don’t want someone working for me whose Number #1 priority is “work.” Invariably I can’t keep up with them and then I spend a lot of time “managing” them. It just sounds like “work” to me.

My top five priorities are my belief in and service to God, my wife and children, my other friends and family, my own health and well-being, and my country. While this is the order I always want them to be they are frequently scrambled toward “wife and kids first, family, God…, etc.” I think this happens a lot – to a lot of people.

Greg read a book once titled “I Am Third” by Gale Sayers (autobiography) in which Mr. Sayers introduced us to Brian Piccolo of “Brian’s Song” fame. In this book, Gale Sayers places God first, his family and friends second, and himself third. This was a reminder to me about where my priorities lay.

As readers of the blog know, I learned a lot from my father. Pertinent examples were general construction, vehicle maintenance, and of course my values. I learned to build decks, frame, roof, change the oil and brakes on cars etc. because of my dad’s priorities – not mine.

When I was little, Dad would get me up on Saturday to “work.” Work started about 8 o’clock. This means we got up earlier. Mom would fix us breakfast and I would tag along with Dad until lunch – which was about 2 o’clock. When my brother got old enough he tagged along too. When we got older work still started at 8, but we were responsible for getting up early enough for breakfast - else we waited until lunch. There were several mornings I worked while hungry. But I learned quickly another valuable lesson. These Saturdays, and Sunday's after church were when we learned everything we needed to know, and you can read some of that in previous blogs.

But today, I want to tell you the story of priorities. When I was in junior high, my friends had organized a flag football game for 10 AM Saturday at the high school football practice field. I wanted to play, and asked Dad if I could. He said “no, you have to work.”

I whined a little bit, and tried my keen negotiation skills – also learned from my dad…

“What if I work until just before ten, play flag football for a while, then come back and work until 4 PM rather than 2?”

“No. Work is from 8 till 2.” “But Dad,…” my pleading quickly cut short by his interruption: “You don’t tell your boss when you work – your boss tells you when you work. After you work, then you can do whatever you want.”

I could see I would not win this argument. I didn’t get to play flag football that day and I can’t tell what “work” was either. I do know though, I learned a variation on the adage “work before play” plus how to repair the lawn mower or some other valuable skill.

Thanks for the lesson Dad!

- Craig