James Burke
Being a grandpa is more fun than working
My wife looked out the door this morning, just as a passing truck hauling junk drove by. In a split second, she saw a wheel (that was on the bed of the trailer) bounce off, hit the road and then become airborne. After several swift bounces, it managed to hit my humble little engraved limestone sign like the #1 pin at the bowling alley.
Needless to say, the sign practically exploded and the tire continued its flight some fifty or so yards further. Dear wifey said it was one of the most incredible things she’d seen in a long time. I’m kind of glad she saw it happen, otherwise I would have thought vandalism was to blame.
My daughter had intended to be out in that general vicinity mowing the lawn this morning, but thank God for small miracles.
Anyway, I had intended to replace the sign with our new logo that was updated last year. I have seven more years of design experience than when I had first made it, so the creative wheels are already turning. Keeping the old sign for posterity had been in the in the plans, though.
I’m reminded of this story of Thomas Edison…
In 1914 Thomas Edison’s factory in West Orange, New Jersey, was virtually destroyed by fire. Although the damage exceeded $2 million, the buildings were insured for only $238,000 because they were made of concrete and were thought to be fireproof. Much of Edison’s life work went up in smoke and flames that December night.
At the height of the fire, Edison’s 24-year-old son, Charles, searched frantically for his father. He finally found him, calmly watching the fire, his face glowing in the reflection, his white hair blowing in the wind.
“My heart ached for him,” said Charles. “He was 67 — no longer a young man — and everything was going up in flames. When he saw me, he shouted, “Charles, where’s your mother?” When I told him I didn’t know, he said, ‘Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything like this as long as she lives.’”
The next morning, Edison looked at the ruins and said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.”
Three weeks after the fire, Edison managed to deliver the first phonograph.
Needless to say, the sign practically exploded and the tire continued its flight some fifty or so yards further. Dear wifey said it was one of the most incredible things she’d seen in a long time. I’m kind of glad she saw it happen, otherwise I would have thought vandalism was to blame.
My daughter had intended to be out in that general vicinity mowing the lawn this morning, but thank God for small miracles.
Anyway, I had intended to replace the sign with our new logo that was updated last year. I have seven more years of design experience than when I had first made it, so the creative wheels are already turning. Keeping the old sign for posterity had been in the in the plans, though.
I’m reminded of this story of Thomas Edison…
In 1914 Thomas Edison’s factory in West Orange, New Jersey, was virtually destroyed by fire. Although the damage exceeded $2 million, the buildings were insured for only $238,000 because they were made of concrete and were thought to be fireproof. Much of Edison’s life work went up in smoke and flames that December night.
At the height of the fire, Edison’s 24-year-old son, Charles, searched frantically for his father. He finally found him, calmly watching the fire, his face glowing in the reflection, his white hair blowing in the wind.
“My heart ached for him,” said Charles. “He was 67 — no longer a young man — and everything was going up in flames. When he saw me, he shouted, “Charles, where’s your mother?” When I told him I didn’t know, he said, ‘Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything like this as long as she lives.’”
The next morning, Edison looked at the ruins and said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.”
Three weeks after the fire, Edison managed to deliver the first phonograph.
