"What Would Lamar Do?"
Lamar is known by friends and family as the guy that can fix or build anything and solve any problem. If he couldn’t do it, then he would figure it out at all costs, purely out of self-enjoyment and pride. At times, it seems he has carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Even though the stories could go on forever, here are two small examples of his strength and thought process. The first example, the dryer at our house caught on fire. As it filled the house with smoke, he made sure everyone was out of the house then went back in and drug it out of the house still burning. The second example is more recent. He built a concrete ramp for us to get on the back porch without going over steps. This ramp included an eye bolt on the side. When we questioned why it was there he said it would be easy for us to hook a strap to it and pull it into the woods when him and Momma eventually die.
There have been many times at Piece of Work, where we would be working on a project and would reach a fork in the road and had to ask ourselves two important questions. One, do we take the easy route that would be simpler, less time consuming and labor intensive but would produce a reasonable result? Two, do we do the necessary work, even if it requires taking a loss and/or giving up time that could be spent elsewhere, but would produce a true Piece of Work? In cases where the final result is drastically different, the choice is easy. However, there are times where the final products look the same, and only we would know what was different. In these cases, it would seem that if the difference in result was very small then the choice should be easy, until the question is posed “What would Lamar do?” Would Ole Lamar take the easy way out and go with the option that leaves us with a product that looks the same and accomplishes the same function, but is lower in quality and saved us more time? The answer here is obvious, HE** NO. Lamar would go the extra mile to ensure that quality is assured for each product, not quantity. He would do this even if it added an extra day’s work, extra cost, or painstakingly long and enduring work to make sure it’s absolutely perfect. It may sound like I am describing a super hero that goes by the name of “Ole Lamar or Dead-e.” In many cases, at least in our world, he is, but the simple truth is that cancer has reared its ugly head and has worn him down physically and in some cases mentally. He is no better or different than all the other survivors but for a man that never asked for help or refused to admit failure, the journey to good health continues to be especially tough. The last few weeks he has struggled with remaining hydrated and eating properly and it has slowed down the treatment process. At the end of the day, Ole Lamar should ask “What would Lamar do?” From a distance the answer is simple. He would believe in a higher power, embrace the love of those around him, be humble enough to rely on others to help him as much as possible, and CUT THIS CANCER’S ASS!
