wasnât feeling any better. To try and calm himself he stared off in the distance and watched the gigantic Euclid dumptrucks lumbering across the mines. A double-cab Ford F-150 pulled up alongside one that was parked, and it was only as long as the diameter of one tire of the Euclid. He found himself calming somewhat, but he couldnât stare at trucks all day, and as soon as he took his mind off of them and looked away the panic began rushing back in. Yet the thought of telling Patrick that he was too afraid to stay, and actually turning around and climbing back down the ladder, was unthinkable. He would almost rather fall off.
For the next two hours until the following break he stood there watching and handing along welding rods, grinders, and the chipping hammer. The problem was that he was too nervous to actually learn anything. His first day and he was already considering that he had made a big mistake. And to make matters worse, between breaks until the end of his shift, he would have to make the climb at least seven more times that day.
When Levi stepped off the ladder for the last time that day his relief was difficult to hide. On the way back to camp he looked for the wolf he had seen in the clearing, but it had disappeared into the wilderness.
The Scaffolderâs Father
The hours passed slowly but the days gathered quickly, and, if anything, the heights got harder instead of easier. What bothered Levi most was that his short-term memory was useless when he was nervous. And when he was at heights, which was half the time in this job, he was always nervous. Even when Patrick let him tack welds Levi found himself sticking on the rod way more than he normally would. It was so frustrating that he would feel like throwing the rod oven over the scaffold.
This day had not been going well from the start. He barely caught the bus because his alarm clock didnât go off. The only kind of alarm clock that was available in the convenience store was digital, instead of a âreal oneâ as he thought of the windups. He didnât trust digital clocks because he didnât trust himself setting them. He didnât eat breakfast because he had not been able to ever since he started the job. And even when he got on the bus he tripped up in somebodyâs foot and fell down in the aisle. As soon as everyone saw he had not hurt himself, at least half of them laughed out loud.
Every climb up the ladder felt like the first, if not worse than the first. It was pure force of pride that was enabling him to do it. Why wasnât it getting better? Didnât facing fears make them easier?
It was lightly snowing. Work didnât stop for snow, unless it was a blizzard, because the scaffolders always had hoardings built for those who needed it. A scaffolder had to wear a safety harness at all times, but a man could only move so far with a harness before he had to tie-off somewhere else. Occasionally, if a man was particularly busy, or in an awkward position where the lanyard kept getting in the way, he would glance about for a safety rep, and if the coast was clear, do a quick job without tying off.
Levi was at about sixty feet, handing welding rods to Patrick, who was welding a pipe support onto a beam. It was after first break, and Levi stared in a half daze at a young scaffolder who was assembling toe boards with his older partner. Being in each otherâs work area, both groups had signed on each otherâs Safety First Cardâs earlier.
Patrick finished burning the last rod on the weld and told Levi he needed to take a leak.
âCan you start wrapping up while Im gone?â Patrick said. âYou can lower everything down to me when I get back.â
âNot a problem,â Levi said, snapping out of his trance.
Levi unhooked a grinder and began wrapping the cord around it. Once again he found his gaze drifting towards the two scaffolders. The young scaffolder was unhooking his lanyard and
For the next two hours until the following break he stood there watching and handing along welding rods, grinders, and the chipping hammer. The problem was that he was too nervous to actually learn anything. His first day and he was already considering that he had made a big mistake. And to make matters worse, between breaks until the end of his shift, he would have to make the climb at least seven more times that day.
When Levi stepped off the ladder for the last time that day his relief was difficult to hide. On the way back to camp he looked for the wolf he had seen in the clearing, but it had disappeared into the wilderness.
The Scaffolderâs Father
The hours passed slowly but the days gathered quickly, and, if anything, the heights got harder instead of easier. What bothered Levi most was that his short-term memory was useless when he was nervous. And when he was at heights, which was half the time in this job, he was always nervous. Even when Patrick let him tack welds Levi found himself sticking on the rod way more than he normally would. It was so frustrating that he would feel like throwing the rod oven over the scaffold.
This day had not been going well from the start. He barely caught the bus because his alarm clock didnât go off. The only kind of alarm clock that was available in the convenience store was digital, instead of a âreal oneâ as he thought of the windups. He didnât trust digital clocks because he didnât trust himself setting them. He didnât eat breakfast because he had not been able to ever since he started the job. And even when he got on the bus he tripped up in somebodyâs foot and fell down in the aisle. As soon as everyone saw he had not hurt himself, at least half of them laughed out loud.
Every climb up the ladder felt like the first, if not worse than the first. It was pure force of pride that was enabling him to do it. Why wasnât it getting better? Didnât facing fears make them easier?
It was lightly snowing. Work didnât stop for snow, unless it was a blizzard, because the scaffolders always had hoardings built for those who needed it. A scaffolder had to wear a safety harness at all times, but a man could only move so far with a harness before he had to tie-off somewhere else. Occasionally, if a man was particularly busy, or in an awkward position where the lanyard kept getting in the way, he would glance about for a safety rep, and if the coast was clear, do a quick job without tying off.
Levi was at about sixty feet, handing welding rods to Patrick, who was welding a pipe support onto a beam. It was after first break, and Levi stared in a half daze at a young scaffolder who was assembling toe boards with his older partner. Being in each otherâs work area, both groups had signed on each otherâs Safety First Cardâs earlier.
Patrick finished burning the last rod on the weld and told Levi he needed to take a leak.
âCan you start wrapping up while Im gone?â Patrick said. âYou can lower everything down to me when I get back.â
âNot a problem,â Levi said, snapping out of his trance.
Levi unhooked a grinder and began wrapping the cord around it. Once again he found his gaze drifting towards the two scaffolders. The young scaffolder was unhooking his lanyard and
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