My grandfather recently retired after over fifty years in the workplace. Work was always been his life and even when he was home, he would often be tucked away in his office working away. When my dad announced he was retiring, my family and I couldn’t believe it. We didn’t know what he would do with all of his free time considering he never had any. At his retirement party my siblings and I presented him with a workbench and tools for him to start a woodshop in the garage. He always talked about how much he once enjoyed making furniture but then life happened and he had to put his hobby on hold. We felt that retirement would be an excellent time to return to his hobby and by the look on his face at the party, we could tell he agreed too. I couldn’t have been happier that he began working right away in his workshop, but I was also rather concerned. I noticed he wasn’t being as safe as he should considering he wasn’t wearing goggles or cut resistant gloves and to me that was unacceptable. The purpose behind the workshop was so he could do something he enjoyed and if he got hurt, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy it. At that moment, I stepped into action and tried to protect him as he had done for me my entire life.
I immediately had a sit down with my dad and stressed the importance of his safety while working. My dad explained to me that thirty years ago the safety equipment that is available now was never used and he’d be fine. He was used to nicking his fingers and arms with a saw and didn’t think twice about getting sawdust in his eyes. I stressed to my dad that he needed to take advantage of the safety tools that are available now because he’s not as young as he used to be. It took a lot of convincing, but I think he got my point.
The next time I visited my grandfather he was working away in the garage, and I was pleased to see him wearing goggles, cut resistant gloves and even steel toe boots. He said that by wearing the equipment he was able to work faster and more effectively because he didn’t have to stop to tend to wounds or rub his eyes to get saw dust out of them. My grandfather has since created beautiful pieces of furniture that he is proud to show off. This hobby has not only given him a new burst of life, but us too. Seeing him so involved, creative and most importantly safe, is better than any gift we could have given him.
Mercedes Potter is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites. Follow her @CedesPotter to see other home improvement blog posts.
