OLD DOG, NEW TRICKS
Last week, I wrote about picking up after others; this week, I’m going to pick up where I left off.
But first, a bit of background for those of you who missed the last column. It was about my decision to carry on expecting people to be decent, even after I got ripped-off, because I believe that approach makes for a happier life.
My example involved bogus builders who ran off with an extra day’s pay and dumped a load of rubble on the drive I’d hired them to repave after I refused their demand for more money. I had to pick up the builders’ mess, and their exit left me with another decision to make in addition to whether I would expect people to be honest.
I could have looked for other pavers to finish my drive, or I could have tried to do the job myself. As you may have guessed from the picture up top, I went with the second option and, as it turns out, I’m extremely glad I did.
There are several reasons for that in addition to the money I’m saving, most of which is the result of the kindness of others. After my heated parting of ways with Green Valley pavers, one neighbour who had overheard the argument gave me two tonnes of gravel and another offered me free use of tools, including the tamper I needed to compact the ground. And my daughter, my partner and her kids donated their labour and knowledge to the physically and technically demanding job.
But instead of seeing those things simply as savings, I see them as gifts of friendship, which is something I can’t measure in financial terms.
Another benefit is that I am learning how to do new things like use a tamper and source building materials… and hopefully, I am getting a better feel for when people can no longer be trusted. Having said that, I did get burned again on the new slabs I bought for my drive.
I chose a supplier based on the price I was given over the phone for the size I needed, but when the delivery arrived the slabs were 15mm thinner than the ones I’d ordered. The new ones had to match up with the slabs I’d taken out and cleaned, so I had to send them back and wait for the correct size to arrive.
That delayed the job for two days and cost me an additional P10 per slab because I’d been quoted the price for the thinner slabs. The suppliers claim that’s because I asked for that size, but I’m certain that’s not the case. Anyway, I paid the money and made a mental note to double check everything I order over the phone… but I doubt I’m going to be good at that since I still want to believe people are competent and can be trusted.
Oh well, I may have learned some new building skills, but when it comes to attitudes, I’m probably proving that it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks. But in this case, I can live with that.