The First Paycheck

Words: Kent Huntley

Several years ago, Huntley Brothers hired a young apprentice. It was his first real job, and he had never had a paycheck before.

Friday rolled around, and he got paid just like everyone else. Later that day, one of the guys told me something I have never forgotten. He said the young apprentice just sat there in the truck on the ride home, looking at his paycheck. He could not believe someone had actually paid him that much money for one week's work. He was excited to go to work, excited to get paid, and excited about what the future might hold.

One of the other guys smiled and said, "We've forgotten what that feels like."

I have thought about that comment more than once over the years. Have I forgotten what that feels like?

I can still remember getting my first paycheck. I do not remember exactly how much it was, but I remember how it made me feel. I had earned it. Nobody had handed it to me. There was a sense of pride that came with it, and I could not wait to get back to work the next week and earn another one. I was not thinking about benefits, retirement, or where I would be 20 years later. I was just excited that someone had trusted me enough to give me a chance.

When I was younger, everything seemed exciting: learning a new skill, getting trusted with a little more responsibility, buying my first truck, and finishing a job that I could stand back and be proud of. Back then, it seemed like every week brought something new. I could not wait to see what was next.

Life has a way of changing that. We get busy. We start thinking about schedules, payroll, equipment breakdowns, customer meetings, and whatever problem is waiting for us when we get to work that morning. None of those things are bad. They are just part of running a business. But if we are not careful, they slowly become all we see. Some days it feels like we are so busy solving problems that we forget to appreciate everything that is going right.

Every once in a while, we will hire someone who is just starting out, and I enjoy watching those first few weeks. They are excited to come to work, excited to learn, and excited to get that first paycheck. I hope we never lose that excitement, and I hope as a company we do everything we can to encourage it.

Lately, I have been thinking about that because of my two young granddaughters. Everything amazes them. A bird in the yard, watching our dog, riding on the Polaris, or "helping" in the kitchen can make their whole day. They notice things that I walk right past without even seeing.

Every time I watch them, I think about that young apprentice sitting quietly in the truck looking at his first paycheck. The two do not seem connected, but in my mind, they are. They were both looking at something with a sense of amazement that most of us had already lost.

Somewhere along the way, life becomes familiar. We get older, we get used to things, and before we know it, what once seemed special has become ordinary. I do not want that to happen.

I do not want to forget how fortunate I have been to make a living doing something I enjoy. I do not want to forget the people I have worked with, the friendships this trade has given me, or the opportunities I have had because I chose this profession. Masonry has allowed me to meet people all over the country and has given me experiences I never would have imagined when I was that young man waiting on his first paycheck.

That young apprentice probably has no idea he taught me anything. My granddaughters do not either. But every once in a while, they remind me to slow down and notice the things I have started taking for granted.

Life is a whole lot better when we do not lose our sense of amazement. And just maybe, remembering what first excited us about this trade, and about life, is one way to remember just how fortunate we really are.

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