Dating : Nothing Is Ever Too Big

On an individual level, there are many experiences in life that have taught us valuable lessons. Whether these experiences were pleasant or not, that is usually overshadowed by the lasting effects of those lessons learned. I’ve experienced this multiple times in my life, especially in my line of work. For five years now, I’ve worked in interior construction renovating houses and apartments in the state of New York. Of the many projects I’ve been on, there’s one I was a part of in Brooklyn that comes to mind because I learned a valuable life lesson that day.

I had just walked into the job site on a Wednesday morning while sipping on some coffee I had brought from home. It was the second project I was a part of with this company; therefore, I was still a little nervous every morning wondering how my day would go. I was an apprentice of the trade, and in this particular company, you were required to perform different skill sets. I wouldn’t just be a carpenter; I would need to install wood flooring, hang tile, spackle walls, and do simple electrical work here and there.

At the time, I was only comfortable with rough carpentry, framing walls, and hanging drywall. Fortunately, Dave (the boss) was generous and willing to dedicate some time to teach me tricks of the trade to add to my skill set. The day before, he started and completed installing marble tile flooring in the third-floor bathroom. While doing so, I was the “mud guy,” mixing the thin-set and paying close attention to how the tiles were set. Dave applied the thin-set on the subfloor, set each tile on top of it, and made all the necessary cuts. That’s pretty much how that day went.

Back to Wednesday, I finished my coffee, and it was strange that Dave hadn’t arrived yet. While I continued waiting, I went up to the second-floor bathroom because the project of the day was to begin installing the marble tile flooring there. Soon after, I became concerned, so I decided to call him. When I asked him if everything was alright, he comfortably said, “yeah, I’m not heading over there today. You’re installing that tile the same way you saw me install it on the third floor. What, you thought I was going to pay you to be the “mud guy” again? Get it done today.”

I had never installed a tile in my life, much less flooring marble tile. I did see how he set the tiles the day before, but that didn’t give me the slightest bit of confidence to do it myself. I was too scared even to place the first tile; I was afraid I might break it. I was installing 12” x 24” White Carrara marble tiles, and the thought that this was an expensive natural stone haunted my every move. I felt a mix of things. I was angry at Dave and frustrated with myself because I thought I could’ve paid more attention the day before. And time was flying. Every time I checked my watch, another 30 minutes had passed by, and I was still on the same spot. To make the story short, I only set three or four tiles that day.