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Guy on a job site in Portland told me to slow down on my picks last summer
I was rushing through a lift on a tight deadline near the riverfront. Some old crane hand walks up and just says "you ain't movin' freight, you're movin' people's paychecks." Stuck with me. Now I take an extra couple seconds on every swing. Anyone else had a random comment from a stranger that actually made you better?
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oliverhernandez1mo ago
Think about how that rush could have put someone in the hospital too. Back when I was stacking lumber at a yard, a guy told me "you want to go home with all your fingers tonight, right?" and that hit different. Slowing down isn't just about the work, it's about making sure you're still around to do it tomorrow.
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murray.jana29d ago
Right, because nothing says 'good morning' like a trip to the ER because you wanted to save three seconds on a nail. My buddy used to say 'slow is smooth, smooth is fast' and I thought he was just trying to sound cool.
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hill.margaret1mo ago
That line about movin' people's paychecks really hits home. I had something similar happen when I was starting out as a framer. This old carpenter watched me hauling lumber too fast and just said 'slow down, you're building a house here, not a race car.' I thought he was just being grumpy, but later I realized he meant every mistake I made rushing cost time and money to fix. Now I take that extra second to set my nails straight and keep my cuts clean. Have you found yourself slowing down in other parts of your life too?
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