Note to readers: The following event is true and none of the facts have been altered to protect the person in this story’s ego.
I heard a loud snap out in front of our house and heard a large truck driving away. I walked out to our front tree located near the curb and noticed a large branch about 8-10 feet up in the tree was cracked, probably hit by the truck, and hanging low over the street. It was now a safety issue for someone who wasn’t paying attention. The branch needed to be cut off, and I quickly decided I was the guy to do it by myself. I went into our garage and came out with the extension ladder and chainsaw. I placed the ladder against the uncracked part of the branch closer to the main trunk of the tree. I tested the ladder for stability, then climbed the ladder with the chainsaw in hand. I intended to saw through the branch to the left of my ladder and to the right of the major crack, saving some of the limb. The saw was purring as I began to cut through the branch. What I hadn’t considered was the impact of the weight of that big branch coming down. In a split second, when I was 95% through the branch, it fell, snapping off the remainder. That massive shift of weight somehow moved my ladder in a way that was unforeseen by me. The next thing I knew, I had no ladder underneath my feet, leaving me holding a chainsaw in one hand and nothing to stand on, and soon I was dropping rapidly to the ground. Fortunately, as I fell six feet down, I took my finger off the chainsaw, so it stopped (yea), and I landed on my feet then fell back on my rear end next to the fallen branch. Embarrassed at what had happened, and with all my limbs intact, I sheepishly looked around to see if anyone might be looking and saw Darlene (our neighbor across the street) was, who immediately said, “Are you alright?” I sheepishly responded “yes”, and then she said, “I really don’t believe what I just saw.” I suppose to her or anyone else watching, it was as if I said, “Hold my beer and watch this”, which if you ever hear those words, it typically isn’t a good ending. God was certainly watching out for me that day, and I suspect even laughing.
Please stop laughing. The message is about what happens when you decide to do something on your own. We need other people yet we often (men especially, but not exclusively) like to be independent and do it all by ourselves. Maybe it’s pride or our misguided self-confidence. I’ve learned doing it on your own has consequences, and I’ve experienced many of them.
Don’t take pride in doing things “by myself”, instead work with others. Whether it’s at work or in your personal life, having someone else help is especially valuable in these areas.
Does it need to be done? – Is the task before you a real priority, or just something you think needs to be done. Just because it’s a priority for you, doesn’t mean it’s really a priority. Too many times, I’ve watched people waste time on something no one else believed was necessary. When you’re working by yourself it’s easy to place your needs and wants too high.
Do we have what we need to do this? – When you’re on your own, you have only your past experiences to help decide if you have what you need to accomplish the task. A helper’s perspective might offer a quicker and more efficient solution.
How much time is needed? Too often we underestimate the time that’s required. Working with someone you’ll be more realistic in the time needed and if you fall behind, you’ll have extra help to get it done.
If something goes wrong? – Yes, things can go badly, and it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in physical danger. The unexpected might impact your chances of success for a special project where you work that has high visibility. If you’re working with someone, together you will better handle the crisis, and they can also help find more resources to finish the work.
We were built to be in community and work together. Take pride in working successfully with others, not on your own.
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT
