The "A True Friend Comes To My Aid" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Hammering in a nail on the new cedar siding that I purchased a week ago.  Today's story actually began years and years ago after I had been teaching for a few years.  My teaching position was at Manheim Township High School in the Industrial Arts Department.  For those not familiar with Industrial Arts, before that it was called shop and today it is known as Technical Education.  In the state of Pennsylvania it is a required course in the curriculum.  I began as a metal shop, wood shop and drawing teacher, but after a few years I was teaching entirely Graphic Arts and Photography.  A few years after I began at the school another shop teacher by the name of Hal was hired to replace a retiring teacher.  Hal had taught in New Jersey, but made the move to Pennsylvania to teach.  We became friends as well as fellow teachers, but didn't socialize very much.  We each had growing families that took up our time as well as I worked at the school doing all the in-house printing needs for the school district while Hal became part of a group of shop teachers who did home construction during the summer.  

Hal is preparing to cut the next piece of cedar siding.

Hal and I retired from teaching in 1999 and have retained our friendship with department picnics, monthly retired teacher breakfasts, going to shows and concerts with our wives as well as taking photos of his bee-keeping hobby.  Hal is a master craftsman and I featured a story about a grandfather's clock he built for one of his three girls.  I recently had to do some demolition work on the corner of my garage at my home due to carpenter ants and after realizing the rebuild was too much for me to handle by myself and talking to Hal about it, he asked if I needed help, I decided to take him up on his offer.  Having worked more in the printing and photography trade for many years, it was great to have someone so familiar with the building trade to help me with my construction.  

Sliding another piece of tongue and
groove siding into place on the wall.

Hal knew exactly what was needed and helped me obtain the building supplies as well as supply many of the tools needed.  I thoroughly enjoyed working with Hal and getting a chance to talk about the "good old days" as well as learn a few things from him.  I must admit I was totally exhausted at the end of the first day of work and Hal suggested we call it a day when he saw I was struggling to keep up with him.  A few more hours the following day and my rebuild looks great.  I need to wait a few weeks and then I can stain the wood to match the rest of the house.  Hal and his wife Jeanne and Carol and I are marking our calendars for the summer to head to a few music concerts together with a meal before each one.  Had the best time renewing an old friendship with a great guy.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The final result thanks to Hal.