I have a lawn tractor with a snow plow attachment. At 4:00 AM this morning I was driving down the street toward my office to plow the parking lots because I’m too cheap to pay the outlandish prices the plow guys get. Done by 5:30, I headed home to do my own drive and walks, so I didn’t get into the office until 8:00.
At about noon, I’m in a board meeting and got a voice mail from a friend who is moving tomorrow. She wondered if I might plow their new drive so the moving van could make it up the drive to the front door.
I was insulted!!!I was angry!!!I didn’t call her back. Finally my wife called (it’s her friend) and wanted to know if I planned to do their drive.So it was my wife who recommended me … hmmm. I had a full day so it meant doing the work in the evening. Let’s see, up at 3:30 AM working by 4:00 and finishing about 7:30 PM. By the way, plowing with a lawn tractor isn’t like sitting behind the wheel of a truck.
I voiced my opinion to my wife and she had some words of wisdom for me.“Look,” she said, “Don’t do it if you are going to resent them for asking. It would be more damaging to our friendship than you saying no. Just tell them you can’t and give them a landscaper’s name that might be able to get it done today.”
I was tired anyway, my pride a little bruised at being asked because I knew that their two boys and the husband were off because of the snow. I had all kinds of reasons to say no. But my wife’s advice gave me pause. These were friends of ours and they are packing up their house and moving tomorrow. They’ve been working for weeks and weeks to prepare for the big day and they get hit with a huge (by St. Louis standards) snow storm the day before.
So, I took off work a little earlier than usual, got my long underwear back on and plowed away. Who would I be more upset with if I didn’t do it? Me, and I’d still resent being asked.It was the right thing to do and I had the equipment, the knowledge and ability to help some friends. All it took was a little time and effort and although that’s valuable, that’s what friends should do, give their time and effort toward that friendship. It’s the least I could do…
