This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hi list, I thought I'd share a couple of experiences I had in a rebuilding shop, = kind of relating to some stringing operations that were happening, but = more about some events amongst people. It's kind of long, and if you're only interested in the technical piano = stuff, you'll probably want to just hit the delete button. Anyway... We had an old Kohler & Campbell spinet piano that was getting = restrung... I know, I know, you don't have to say it... but it was = getting done anyway. There was a guy in the shop who normally did just = basic work, some hardware polishing, and some very basic regulation and = repairs who normally took care of a lot of the low end work on just such = type pianos, that we decided might benefit from the experience of = restringing a piano. So we let him go at it. (He had been a helper on = many restringing projects, so he was quite familiar with the operation.) = He worked at it for several hours, but ended up misreading the stringing = scale we had made, and ended up stringing about half of the top section = wrong. Well, it was almost his quitting time when he made this = discovery, and he was very discouraged by it, and didn't want to = continue with the project. Since we had a deadline, another tech and I = decided that we would work diligently for the rest of the day, and = finish this thing up right. So we started. We removed about half of = the piano wire, and began again. I started out winding the wire on the = tuning pins and pounding them in, while my friend and co-worker kept me = supplied with the appropriate wire. Everything seemed to be going fine = until I realized that I had skipped the very first pin I should have = started on. :-( I told him just as soon as I noticed. He would have = been perfectly justified if he had read me the riot act, and refused to = work any farther with me on this project. He was actually the head of = the shop at the time, and could probably have required me to fix what I = had messed up on my own time. That was a very vulnerable moment for me. = I messed up. I did it wrong. It was my fault. What did he do? He = very kindly said something like, "well, let's see what we can do..." and = we proceeded to undo all that we had done, and start over. We finished = the job without further incident, and enjoyed each other's company as = well. A couple of years later, I reminded him of this whole thing and = thanked him for his kindness towards me. He said he didn't even = remember it. I did. I probably will for a long time. A couple of years after, another thing happened. By this time, I was in = charge of the shop. There's an older fellow who was (still is) working = there that has been there for at least 20 years, maybe much more. He's = in his 80's, 83 or 84, I think. Anyway, he's a helper. He's a good = worker, and is happiest when he's being useful and helpful. = Unfortunately, his eyesight isn't what it used to be and it's sometimes = hard for him to do the things he used to do so well. Anyway, we were = stringing a piano, a grand this time. We were about 3/4 of the way = through the plain wire strings when he started having trouble seeing = which hitch pin the wire was supposed to be wrapped around. He missed = the first one, and we caught it right away. So rather than trying to = fix that one, I just cut the wire off, and got a fresh piece for another = string. It doesn't take long. I wasn't really upset. It happens. But = after it happened a few more times, he got very discouraged, and said = "maybe I should just quit, you'd probably be better off without me." It = was one of his vulnerable moments. I suppose I could have told him to = find something else to do, or told him how incompetent he was, but I = didn't want to do that. He's a good worker. He's a good person. What = we did, was, we took a little break. We had a cup of iced tea. = Basically, I told him "everything will be just fine. We all mess up. = It's ok." I told him about the first incident, the one I told you about = above, and how my other friend was so kind to me. I told him not to = worry, and that I appreciated him helping me with the stringing. We = went back to work after a few minutes, and he helped me finish without = another problem of any kind. I don't remember the piano. But I do = remember my friend. =20 I hope that when you encounter those vulnerable moments in your life, = whether you're the one who's encountering it in someone else, or whether = it's you who's vulnerable, I hope that kindness will be with you. It's = sometimes easy to say things that are "right" and "true" that can cut to = the heart of the people we are with, many times, people we love. We all = have those vulnerable moments. They're a part of life. Be kind to one another. Best wishes to all, Brian Trout Quarryville, PA btrout@desupernet.net ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/68/29/96/1c/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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