At the Supply House...

Since becoming a Vocational Teacher thirteen years ago, I spend less and less time in field and as a result, little time at the Supply House. Funny thing about Plumbers, although we're competitors for the same jobs, and that can be cut-throat at times, we've somehow managed to remain friends or at the very least, friendly acquaintances over the years. Maybe it's because there is a bond that hard work, sometimes dirty work, creates, or maybe it's that hard, physical work is the great equalizer, taking us all down a notch to a more acceptable reality where we coexist without bias. Whatever it is, the camaraderie is uncommon and truly remarkable.

Every industry has its own language, and the plumbing trade is no exception. When Plumbers get together it's always interesting and entertaining to listen to the conversation, or if you're a Plumber, be part of it. There's always grand, sometimes exaggerated stories accompanied by  unrestrained laughter. That's what I miss most about not being a full-time Plumber.

While on Christmas Break I needed some parts to rebuild a Symmons tub and shower valve for a good customer. I could easily have gone to a big-box store like Home Depot or Lowes, and stood in line with nameless faces, but I opted for the friendly confines of the local Plumbing Supply House instead. On the way over I wondered who I'd see and how long I'd stay...

Dave's my old High School buddy and manages this particular store and I figured I'd see him. He's worked in Supply Houses since him and I graduated High School in 1974, even owned one, and he got his Plumbing License a while back, so he speaks the language fluently. And then there's another guy who has been there for a long time. Ken's lugged boilers and water heaters around the back of houses with me and helped get them inside. Before surgery to correct a difficult medical condition, he was a bull and there were many times that without him there to help, carrying heavy items in alone would have be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

I walked in and the big-wigs were all busy on the phones, which is common, especially during heating season and frigid temperatures, and so two young kids were working the counter. I was immediately disappointed, thinking I would pick up my parts without chewing any fat...

Ken looked up from his desk, which was closest to the counter area, and came out of the office to say hello. After a friendly handshake we both did some catching up. When my wife was battling cancer, both Dave and Ken asked about her all the time. They were genuinely concerned.

All of a sudden in walks Danny. I worked  with Danny 35 years ago. We were both employed by a local Plumber and one of the first jobs we worked together on was a three-family rehab in Dorchester. I remember carrying a full two-piece toilet and seat, still in boxes, up multiple flights of stairs to the top floor. I had challenged myself to do it in one trip. Next thing I know, there's Danny, six years my senior, and he's doing the same thing. He wasn't about to be outdone by an Apprentice. Danny was the licensed Master Plumber on the job.

We worked hard and took our breaks together, getting to know one another. He was very outspoken, funny and there was never a dull moment, which helped us through difficult installs. He was definitely not a short conversation kind-of-guy and over the years, on more than one occasion, I spent considerably more time than I had available listening to his colorful stories while standing at the supply house counter.

On this day he approached slowly, still displaying the wide smile and the crazy eyes that was his way of drawing you in. He had aged and put on some weight, nothing we all hadn't done, and he was quick to mention he was having his second knee replacement, next week,  just after New Years. As we spoke I was imagining him carrying that toilet up to the third floor and wondering if either one of us could still do it today...

Since I had a customer waiting I cut it short, shaking hands again with Ken and Danny, wishing them both a Happy and Healthy New Year, which seemed so much more meaningful now than it did some thirty years ago...