Life Lesson From my Electrician

I really had hopes to make this blog post "shorter". But anytime this Jewish gal says "long story short".... know there is going to be NOTHING short about it. Honestly, that is code for "long ass story coming your way". So bucket up. I promise this long story short is full of fun, beautiful moments and life lessons.

So lets roll.... we've got a lot to unpack.

My husband and I are renovating my childhood house. Ever done that? Renovate? It's pure chaos. The house needed a lot. A LOT of everything. Remember my last blog post I said, friends are the best network? Hell yes they are. Our family members have been in real estate for YEARS. So while the average human must call around for good contractors, I've got the best or the best at my fingertips. No really. When you hear "Ohhhhh Sharon & Ted are your family members? They are so impressive", you know you've going to be taken care of. Not to mention extremely proud and honored to have that kind of family. So when I called their recommended electrical company, and they were not available for weeks, I knew this electrician was going to be GREAT. Aren't all the best ones always THAT busy? Not to mention, any recommendation from Sharon and Ted is PURE gold. But that's for another blog post.

From the get go, Porter, the owner and master electrician, let us know he does not squeeze in jobs. Good. Great! I love this. That means when it's my turn, the electricians are focusing on my job alone. 100% us. Full force. Ever renovated? You'll know many times contractors are doing several jobs at once so you never really know when they will work on your project. Or get done. So this approach from Porter, well I LOVED IT. Love this honesty and clear communication and direct expectations. Perfect. We had so much to do at this house that waiting a month for the electrician was no big deal at all.

While we waited for the electrical work to start, we decided to tackle other projects. First up, we demoed a wall. It's a 1980s house. There were doors to everything.

But you cant just get rid of a wall.... there are wires and support and safety to consider. So we did that all. Bye bye wall. But hello, electrical mess.

All the wires in that wall were now exposed and needed to be moved.... by an electrician. So our drywall guys were stuck and at the mercy of the electrician to come rewire everything. Remember, Porter told us we were 4+ weeks out from the start of our job. My drywall guys weren't thrilled about this. They too were a recommended contractor, doing amazing work, and they wanted to finish. Being stuck waiting for the electricians was not how they wanted to schedule their work.

Kindness matters to me. Being seen, understood, appreciated. So I really do try to practice empathy and kindness as much as possible. Sometimes I fail at it. And when I fail, it always feels like forcing the square peg into the round hole. And while the squeaky wheel might get the oil, I've never gone out of my way to oil that wheel. And doesn't it feel so GOOD when you are surprised and delighted by others? So while my drywall guys would have loved it if I called everyday to the electrician's office to see if they could start sooner, no point in being squeaky. Our communication was clear. But I wanted all my contractors to feel I was doing right by them because I really do love building good relationships. So I called up the office one day to get a sense of when the wires might get addressed. We had a LAUNDRY list of items that needed electrical work. So I assumed they had a priority list within our project and I had no clue where the wall wiring fell on that list.

Now, Porter's the boss, the big guy in charge. So while he is a 40 year master electrician, he runs the operations of the business. His employees would be working the project. The man is BUSY. He wakes up at 2:30am to drive TWO hours to work every single day! Meaning, I was incredibly shocked when Porter had some free time the following day to come check out the home. I figured he was just being super kind to pin point when they would start that project, ONCE it was our turn.

Nope, insert that surprise and delight I was talking about. Porter popped over, saw the wires, laughed, and said it would take 30mins. Anddddd he'd do it right then and there. Wait what?! Really? What a huge act of kindness.

This gives me all the feels, even now. Here's the head guy, taking time from his busy day, to pop in and fix wires. While on face value that doesn't seem significant, I can promise you this gave me alllllll the good feels.

So for the next hour we chatted. Not about the project, but other stuff: family, kids, hobbies, interests etc... I wanted to know more about him, his kindness, and what makes him HIM. Happy people do happy deeds. When someone acts kindly, I'm certain I am NOT the first recipient of this goodness, I imagine there have been many others before me. I always want to learn how and why these kinds of people tick. Mainly selfish, I think. I want to be this person. So I asked a million questions..... and then listened. (A skill I'm still trying to develop)

What I learned: you do a lot of nice things. And for some people it is profoundly special. And for some, its not. But for those special people, their appreciation will overflow your cup.

But this wasn't THE life lesson.... This was the iceberg of what was to come next.

While chatting, we started talking about gifts. It is an even longer story on how we got to that topic... so let's skip it. Point- I mentioned someone wanted to gifted me something, and I did not want to accept it. It was too grand and unnecessary.

Ooooo boy, the story that followed will never be forgotten. Here goes:

Many years ago, Porter had a dear friend. They were hunting buddies. His friend had a ton of acreage in Pennsylvania and the two friends often went out hunting together on his property. They hunted, processed, and enjoyed the fruits of their labor together. Mmmmm venison (more to come about that). So it was truly devastating for Porter when his friend passed away at a young age. Prior to passing, this dear friend had asked Porter to pick out his favorite gun, as when he passed, he wanted Porter to have it. I cant even image this conversation. I can see myself in his shoes so vividly. "I don't want anything of yours. Your friendship is THE greatest gift". At least that's what I'd say to my besties. Truly, deeply, and very painfully. So, unfortunately Porter's friend passed and life continued. But what he didn't know, came to be my life lesson. Let people give you gifts. What Porter later discovered from another friend, his buddy was genuinely upset Porter wouldn't accept the gun as his gift. What Porter came to learn: it wasn't about him. It was about the deep and utter joy his friend would have in seeing/knowing Porter would be the recipient of something meaningful to both of them. His friend would have gotten the joy of witnessing Porter's deep gratitude and appreciation for this gesture. In addition, I can only imagine this exchange would be peace in knowing the gift would forever live on as a physical reminder of his memory long after his death. And in a sense, Porter denied him of that. Heavy. I am literally teary-eyed just thinking of this. Gifts are about showing people you love and appreciate them. But equally, and probably even more than that, it is about the feeling the gifter gets in presenting said gift.

Heavy, right? I promise my stories will always leave you feeling GOOD. So lets feel good. You know what happened- the family made sure Porter received that gun. And to date, Porter still hunts on his friend's property. And although I have no idea, I envision him always using this gun. Anddddd bring this full circle, Porter gifted ME some of the venison he hunted and packed. Just because he enjoyed our conversation so much.

My heart feels fuller just retelling this story again. So Porter gifted me three really beautiful things: a completed wiring job, a life lesson that hit home hard andddd dinner! Reece was OBSESSED. Me too. It was delicious and not gamey like ground venison can be. Just call it "High Speed Meat" and no one will know the difference. Porter's advice, and brilliant might I add. Anyway, so what did I want to do? Gift him something in return! It's my love language. I can't help it.

Insert what you all know.... I'm going to bake! And while pizza would have been an epic surprise, pizza doesn't travel well. So my Jewish baking skills were up next. Babkas. Yum. Think challah meets dessert. It's a bit of a labor of love. It needs two proofs and around 30mins in the oven. So while not difficult, it takes a lot of time. And this girl, on some days, lacks time.

Welcome to the last lesson of this story. Listen to those still small voices in your head. I had an exceptionally busy day. Work, renovation projects, errands around town, scheduling appointments, oh and baby care, duh. So when Reece went to sleep, I really wanted to crash too. But for whatever reason I had it in my brain that I WOULD make babkas and deliver them the following day. Jeff even laughed at me and told me to do it another day. He could tell I was beat. And I could swing by the office any other day. Nopppppe. Something in me said- Today. Period. And honestly, it was a dumb plan. The electrician's office isn't always open late, I never know when Porter will be there... and it was a Friday. So the chances I'd catch them before the weekend would have been slim. Whatever, I didn't think about this stuff. Just felt called to bake. And so I did. Until late.

The next day, I drove the 45mins to Porter's office and wouldn't' you know it, when I arrived, there was his truck parked outside! SCORE! Shocking too, because it was 2pm. And the man drives TWO plus hours home. So with pride and pep in my step, I scurried inside to present the treats like a proud Jewish mom. Wait. Yup. I am a proud Jewish mom.

Porter was standing in the front lobby with a WOD of cash. He handed it to me. Just kidding. But I did make that joke when I arrived. Level 10 corniness. I embrace that part of me. Anyway..... Porter, with surprise welcomed me in and mentions perfect timing. He was JUST about to call me. Awesome. "Perfect timing" for me is the Universe telling me I'm on my path and in the exact right place at the right time. And this would unfold to show me that in spades.

Porter comes out and says it quickly: That day will be the last day the business would be operating. Porter was retiring and business was closing down. I get chills thinking about it. It's like something inside me KNEW this, and told me to go there. If I had waited even one extra day, or even one extra hour, I would not have been able to connect with the office staff (who were so incredibly lovely) or Porter. I get goosebumps. Those still small voices guided me exactly where I needed to be.

So again, we sat and chatted for a great deal of time. I learned about the business, its ups and downs and the emotions behind this big decision. 41 years of business, culminating THAT DAY. In my brain, coming in with treats and genuine THANK YOUS, was Bashert (Yiddish for destiny, designed for you) and hopefully extra special on their final day. My heart felt so much emotion from this interaction. So much so that after chatting, I asked if I could give Porter a hug. I hate hugs. I'm not a hugger. But this moment needed one. The entire culmination of our relationship had felt like an intentional meeting. So much learned, shared and appreciated between us. It drives home so deeply in my heart that the best parts of life are moments like this.

Shoot, one more extra lesson: take time to connect with people. Literally none of this would have happened without it. I feel the true secret sauce for life is the connection to others. It ALWAYS fills my tank. And I think it will for you too. So listen, talk, exchange, and laugh a little. It will be these moments that imprint our lives in the best ways, and hopefully give us more joy for all the years to come after. I know this story will for me.

So thank you Porter. For ALL of it. You will be forever remembered by me. These life lessons will become what I pass along to my family, friends, and strangers I met like you did for me. Hopefully making a moment like this for someone else. And even inspiring a reader on this blog to act too. Nothing feels more meaningful.

So again, THANK YOU Porter. You've always got a friend in us. And when you start your "High Speed Meat" business, we are ALL IN!