To The Roofers and Landscapers of the Hamptons Working in this Heat Wave: I Salute You
Yesterday I was having dinner with my future father in law out on his deck and the only topic of discussion was this week’s heat wave.
Personally I think that it’s hotter than we are all saying it is. Maybe it’s one big government conspiracy so everybody doesn’t get scared that it’s actually ten degrees hotter than the Weather Channel is telling us. When I turn on the news, they tell me it’s in the low 90s. I call bologna. If this isn’t passing into 100 degree territory than I have a terrible memory of 90 degree weather in the past. 90 degrees outside isn’t supposed to be THIS BAD is it?
Anyway, so I”m sitting with my future father-in-law, who is somewhat retired from the construction business, and he says, “Can you imagine if you were a roofer or a landscaper today in this heat? Can you imagine being up on some rich guys roof nailing away as the sun beat down on you for eight or ten hours? You would go crazy David.”
I thought about how just the walk from my air conditioned car from my air conditioned office seemed unbearable for a moment. I thought about how for that sixty seconds of being in the heat, all that was on my mind was that I needed to get some place cooler. It still boggles the mind that the guy who invented air-conditioning doesn’t have some kind of monument named after him.
“Yea that would suck. Those guys are like heroes,” I said.
And if you think about it, they really are. They really are the quiet heroes of the Hamptons. Have you ever been to house where the guy doesn’t take care of his front yard or roof? It looks like a drug addict lives in homes that are left alone for weeds to grow and roofs to crumble. Without our roofers and landscapers, who work outside in heat like today, the world would look kind of depressing. These guys deserve some kind of holiday or something.