| Falling Off The "Wagon" |
Now, don't get the wrong idea with this title.
This is a story of a young man (me) getting a
job and not being quite mature enough to
handle it.
One summer when I thought I was man
enough to handle a real job, I talked my dad
into talking to John McCuiston, who owned
the Rockingham Roofing Co. on old Ellerbe
Rd, about hiring me. John was a little
reluctant in doing this because roofing was a
very demanding job. It was a hot job and long
hours each day. But he gave in and hired me.
I think I was around 14 or so and all I wanted
was to make some money for the summer. I
didn't really care that the work might be
hard. I knew I could handle it.
Well, John was right about the job being
rough. I remember while I worked on the
roofs it was really hot as John had told me.
But what made it bad is that I wore rubber
boots. Now, when you are on top of roofs
laying down tar and tar paper, you don't want
to be wearing rubber boots. When I went
home at the end of the day, my feet were all
dried up - they looked like prunes! The boots
would fill up with water from perspiration. It
didn't take me long to get rid of those and get
some better boots for the job!
But this is just part of the story! When we
went out on a job, part of the crew would
have to ride in the back of a big truck that
carried the materials for the job: gravel, tar
paper, barrels of tar, etc. I was one of the
fortunate ones that had to do this. All of us
would usually sit on one of the barrels of tar -
it was either that or sit down in the gravel. I
remember to this day one of the guys making
the comment - "If you sit on the barrel, make
sure you have a good grip and hold on!" Well
- I thought I was holding on. But as we were
going up the hill around the curve, right after
passing the old Great Falls Mill, the barrels
started shifting. Before I knew what was
happening, I had fallen off the truck into the
middle of highway 74! I remember getting up
off the pavement - dazed - bleeding from my
head, my shoe down the road and my shirt
torn....It took me a minute to figure out what
had happened. After realizing what had
happened, I struggled to get off the highway -
cars going by and the truck slowing down to a
stop.
The guys took me to the hospital but I
required only a few stitches in my head.
That's when I had the time to realize I was a
lucky guy. I could have been run over by a
car. I guess the good Lord was looking after
me that day.
But I can tell you one thing - I grew up real
quick that day and can tell you this is one
memory that will always be with me. Needless
to say, that was my last day on the job. But I
now have a greater respect for guys that work
with a roofing company. That is some HARD
WORK.
This is a story of a young man (me) getting a
job and not being quite mature enough to
handle it.
One summer when I thought I was man
enough to handle a real job, I talked my dad
into talking to John McCuiston, who owned
the Rockingham Roofing Co. on old Ellerbe
Rd, about hiring me. John was a little
reluctant in doing this because roofing was a
very demanding job. It was a hot job and long
hours each day. But he gave in and hired me.
I think I was around 14 or so and all I wanted
was to make some money for the summer. I
didn't really care that the work might be
hard. I knew I could handle it.
Well, John was right about the job being
rough. I remember while I worked on the
roofs it was really hot as John had told me.
But what made it bad is that I wore rubber
boots. Now, when you are on top of roofs
laying down tar and tar paper, you don't want
to be wearing rubber boots. When I went
home at the end of the day, my feet were all
dried up - they looked like prunes! The boots
would fill up with water from perspiration. It
didn't take me long to get rid of those and get
some better boots for the job!
But this is just part of the story! When we
went out on a job, part of the crew would
have to ride in the back of a big truck that
carried the materials for the job: gravel, tar
paper, barrels of tar, etc. I was one of the
fortunate ones that had to do this. All of us
would usually sit on one of the barrels of tar -
it was either that or sit down in the gravel. I
remember to this day one of the guys making
the comment - "If you sit on the barrel, make
sure you have a good grip and hold on!" Well
- I thought I was holding on. But as we were
going up the hill around the curve, right after
passing the old Great Falls Mill, the barrels
started shifting. Before I knew what was
happening, I had fallen off the truck into the
middle of highway 74! I remember getting up
off the pavement - dazed - bleeding from my
head, my shoe down the road and my shirt
torn....It took me a minute to figure out what
had happened. After realizing what had
happened, I struggled to get off the highway -
cars going by and the truck slowing down to a
stop.
The guys took me to the hospital but I
required only a few stitches in my head.
That's when I had the time to realize I was a
lucky guy. I could have been run over by a
car. I guess the good Lord was looking after
me that day.
But I can tell you one thing - I grew up real
quick that day and can tell you this is one
memory that will always be with me. Needless
to say, that was my last day on the job. But I
now have a greater respect for guys that work
with a roofing company. That is some HARD
WORK.
| So, as the Train of Life keeps chugging along, another page written of my Childhood Memories of.... Rockingham Remembered. |