The last couple of summers, I have had with the opportunity to work long days at Trestlewood, a lumberyard run predominantly by my family. When I first started the job, I viewed work as an obligatory task that must be accomplished so I could earn money. Although I was not wrong, I failed to realize the great opportunity to develop many necessary skills that would prepare me for my life.
The first summer I was there, I had one goal: to just get through each day. I would show up, do my job, then leave. I refused to do anything beyond earning my paycheck. This was not a good strategy, and slowly, the days felt long and monotonous. Flash-forward to the next summer. This summer, I was reluctant to go back to Trestlewood, and started to browse for other potential summer jobs. My brothers, having much more lumberyard experience than I, gave me some advice. They told me that I needed to expand my horizons, and befriend my coworkers. They said that while this would not eliminate the long monotonous days, that I would look forward to day. Skeptical, but out of other options, I decided to return to Trestlewood for the summer.
I look back on that decision as one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only did I get to know all of my coworkers, but I view each
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This lesson was taught the very first day. I was put on a crew with Roberto, who had a reputation as being the “best” worker in the yard. Within the first twenty minutes of our first shift, I became aware that his reputation was spot on. He did his job with an amount of speed and precision that it was tough for me to keep up. During our break, he told me about his personal life, and childhood. He came from a very humble home, where his parents stressed the importance of work. Never having received a formal education he went wherever he found work. He didn’t view his job as tedious and boring, but as an