That call..........the one you don't want to take....

[LostArt]

And this pretty much fit the picture this past week. I listen to the radio only going to work and returning home, so if I don't hear it at work, I don't hear about it.

This past week my husband comes home and says, "I guess you didn't hear, or I would have heard from you." I asked what. And he said, "Well, on the radio today they said two linemen were killed where I work." I said, "OMG, who were they???" He said, "That was what was on the radio since we serve that area. However, it was tree trimmers."

Calls were flooding in at the co-op, he said. And my neighbor said she almost called me at work, but was afraid to upset me when she heard. She was right, I probably would have been frantic.

I remember this type of call being in the back of my mind when my husband worked out of town in his earlier years of linework. I remember one wife being put off by the owner of the company when her husband was electricuted because he didn't know how to deal with it or her. I thought to myself back then that the owner better show up at my door and tell me because I didn't want to hear it by phone. My husband said he wanted the guys (other linemen) to show up at my house to tell me if it happened to him. He has had to make some of those visits to houses and families of brothers who died in this trade. He says it's one of the worst things he has ever done in his life.

Either way, it's not the call you want to take or hear. I haven't thought about that "call" in years, it's there I suppose. But, tucked way back in my mind and I try not to think about it. I even hate to know how the families of those tree trimmers had to hear that call. One died and the other one is in critical condition.

It's that "call" that can change your life. Even the close calls can scare ya.

[Lineman North Florida]

Actually LA the other fella is at home and other than being really upset about the accident and losing his co-worker is doing o.k. Both of them worked with us for years before retiring, we buried the other man yesterday,we set up two buckets and made an arch at the funeral home to show our respects to the family and we have been praying for all of them, it's the living that are having a hard time dealing with all of this, the service was real nice and you could'nt have fit another person in the funeral home, even though they have been retired for years they will always be part of our family, I saw a lot of retired guys at the service and it made me think about all the things that some of them taught me when I was getting started and how they taught me a trade that has fed my family for years, I will be forever grateful to them. Charlie.

[LostArt]

Thanks Charlie. I had heard that they use to work for you guys. I'm glad the other guy is at home and is okay under these circumstances. I don't think the Boss knew either one of them. As you know, we aren't from around here so that's not unusal.

God bless'em.