I saw him walking down the alley late Wednesday afternoon–who could have missed those neon green pants? He gingerly walked on the water-covered ice, amazingly accomplishing the feat of staying upright while walking and looking upward at the same time.
He was one of about half a dozen linemen from the power company. Their three trucks lined the alley where it T’s behind our house. When I saw him coming, I grabbed my hoodie and hurried–as fast as one can with solid ice underfoot–so as not to miss him before he headed back down the alley in the other direction.
My power wasn’t out–hadn’t been all during the ice storm. But, after having seen these trucks and these men all around the city everywhere I’d been for the past five days, I just wanted to say “Thanks.” So I did. And I found out that these guys were just checking out anything else that might cause a problem. And they were planning to lift back into place the one sagging wire which remained across our back yard, now that it was finally unfrozen from the corner of the neighbors’ garage. We hadn’t asked them to do it–they were just going to do it because it was the best thing to do and it needed to be done.
After that little interchange of information, I put my hand on his arm and said, “Thanks again.” And then–the clincher: He wished me “Merry Christmas”.
I went back into my house and bawled.
I don’t know if this guy was from the Fort or was a member of one of the many crews that had been brought in from out of town to aid in the aftermath of the ice storm. Either way, chances were pretty good that he wasn’t going to have a nice, cozy Christmas morning with his family and a leisurely day to follow it. Yet, here he was, wishing me a Merry Christmas.
At that point, I couldn’t do anything else to express to him the gratitude that welled up in my heart for what he and his fellow workers had done for our city–for my friends and family–during the past five days. So, I told it to God and asked Him to protect and sustain these unsung heroes of wood, wires, and ice.
Those folks are heroes. Following Hurricane Ike, they were working 18 hour days, 7 days a week for what seemed like forever. If you were in a neighborhood where they were working, you’d hear shouts of excitement when the power came back. Thanks for stopping one and thanking him!
I thought my parents being without power for one evening was an inconvenience. Then I heard on the news a couple days later of a woman who hadn’t had power since it all began…7 days without power I think she said. I really don’t know how good I have it a lot of the time, until I get some perspective at least.
Bless you. I bet the man in the green pants isn’t the first person whose life has been touched by your thanks.