It Started When I Was 4 Years Old...
Check out the cover image to this article. See the little girl with her backpack? That’s the closest image I could find to match the story.
4 yeas old
When I was 4 years old, our family only had one vehicle and my stepdad worked in construction. So every morning, my parents would pack us up at 4:00 AM. I would wrap up in the blanket my grandmother had made for me and get my backpack together.
Every morning, would be filled with the sounds of classic music by BB King, Cookie and the Cupcakes, and Ray Charles, and the smells of baked biscuits and warm coffee.
Then we’d head out to his worksite. He drove dumptrucks most of the time and I can remember how tiny I felt at 4 years old, standing next to those monstrous trucks.
Every morning, my stepdad and all the folks in construction would be up, breaking their backs, in my dad’s case, literally, to build the world around us.
That’s one of my earliest memories — the hard work that goes in everyday to build the world we enjoy.
9 years old
Fast forward to when I was 9 years old and my family was building our new home. Everyone participated because this was a way to reduce the cost of construction. Our family did not have a lot of money so every task we could cover meant a lot to our bottom line.
Me and my younger brother had to bring nails and hammers, drills, etc to the work crew. We had to hold lumber steady while it was measured and cut and a bunch of other small tasks, but my favorite task is in the cover image in the far left — painting!
We learned how to properly prime the surface first so the color would not only look its best but would also last. Once primed, we learned how to cover the walls with the color coat to perfection.
20 years old
Fast forward to 20 years old, and I was on work crews rebuilding homes that were damaged by hurricanes. We did everything from removing debris and damaged components of the home, to restoring it back to safe living conditions for the family.
My primary assignment though was roofing. Why? Because most people didn’t want to do it. Not only did it require being outside all day, it also meant being on all types of pitches of roof, some more heavily inclined than others.
But I loved it!
The roofing contractors taught us how to properly seal a roof to prevent water intrusion, the importance of starting to lay the shingles at the bottom of the roof so you can insure a proper drip edge, once again — preventing water intrusion — how to also stagger the shingles so it created a natural flow for water to disperse and land gracefully either into a gutter or onto the earth below.
WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN FOR MY LOVE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION?
I developed an appreciation for what it means when we cooperate to create and build structures and communities that NURTURE people.
When I walk through a neighborhood or downtown area, I reflect on the PEOPLE who built these spaces — not the person who paid for it — but the ones who like my stepdad and his coworkers, who give years of their lives to this most meaningful work
the work of Building and Developing Spaces so that others for generations beyond have space to call Home.