Bigus Termitius
Addicted to ArboristSite
When I was about 6 or 7 I threw a snowball at my neighbor Charlie Ellis which hit him pretty good. He attack me in a fit of rage and started to maul the crap out of me. My momma came diving off the porch and proceeded to give ole Chuck the beating of his life, she hammered him.
There are girls and there are women, there are boys and there are men.
Now when Plasmech ( see post "the plas pine") came over to try his hand at treework I smacked him on the tushy and said " loosen up". This did make him more nervous. Why? because he is a boy. Does anybody see my point?
If you smacked me on the tush on the job and said "loosen up," I'd put "the dan" on his pan and you'd be think "boy," as in "Boy that hurt." Or how bout "Boy, I won't make that mistake again."
Well, maybe, if I'm in a good mood, I'd give you one warning...just one.
I don't get nervous, I get even. I figure if you feel at liberty to pop me on the butt, you've given me the liberty to put you on yours.
No hard feelings, I'll even help you up and say "tighten it up, and save your grab games for the "boys" down at the "Y."
Then I'd smile and get back to work, cause that's what I'm there to do.
To me, anyway, it's all about professionalism and perceptions given, even to those we don't think are watching and/or listening. It's my belief we all need to be ladies and gentlemen on the job. Period.
Which is another reason why I'd probably give you that one warning.
A true gentleman has total self control of his thoughts, words, and actions. He's not steered by, nor a slave to his manhood, he's the master of it. There is a time and a place for everything.
Work hard, play hard.
And that's not to say work can't be fun, to the contrary, just that some "fun" doesn't belong on the job.
Whether or not one has these basic understandings is one of the truest differences between real men and "boys."