007Thank You, Anonymous Man!

posted by Jeff on December 7th, 2006

On Friday of last week I was out working by myself, installing some landscape edging for an Appleton, WI client who needed some quick, end-of-season work done. To aid in landscape edging installation we use a marvelous gas-powered tool called a Bed Edger made by Brown Manufacturing. It has an 8hp engine, allowing it to cut nice V-shaped trenches through almost anything, pulverizing the soils it digs, making edging installation far, far easier than it was a decade ago.

But that machine is heavy. Really Heavy. Close to 200 pounds heavy. I had ramps to push the machine back into my truck, but with the snow we had the night before and during the day (which got compacted into slippery ice), I couldn’t get any traction to push the machine up the ramps.

As I said I was alone, so I figured I was just going to have to try to muscle it straight into the truck. No ramps. I said a quick prayer in my head so as not to get a hernia for what I was about to do, and had just given my pants that little hike you give them before lifting so you don’t rip a seam wide open, when a van stopped alongside my truck.

A guy I’d never met before popped out and asked “Can I give you hand?”

Wow! Normally I don’t accept help for these kinds of things for fear of the other guy getting hurt, but this time I ran some quick number in my head and realized the risk of injury to me was greater if I said no. So I said yes.

5 seconds later I thanked him for being so kind as he was already on his way back to his van. I didn’t get his name, but sure appreciate his help. He was way too thin to be Santa Klaus, but that was a pretty nice gift nonetheless.
Thank you, anonymous man. Have a great Christmas!