Kindness, mercy, only slightly piano related, & long

[Robert Goodale]

Brian Trout wrote:

> Hi list, I thought I'd share a couple of experiences I had in a
> rebuilding shop, kind of relating to some stringing operations
> that were happening, but more about some events amongst
> people.<MAJOR SNIP>I hope that when you encounter those
> vulnerable moments in your life, whether you're the one who's
> encountering it in someone else, or whether it's you who's
> vulnerable, I hope that kindness will be with you.  It's
> sometimes easy to say things that are "right" and "true" that
> can cut to the heart of the people we are with, many times,
> people we love.  We all have those vulnerable moments.  They're
> a part of life.

Brian,

I too had a shop helper that was once very vulnerable to error.
This particular helper was not all that mechanically inclined and
in fact knew very little about pianos.  I started slow and had my
helper work on the small things, things like action disassembly,
removing old damper felt, polishing hardware, and other such
tasks.  Sure there were some screw ups.  Some of these required
significant time to correct.  I realized however that if this
helper was going to be with me for a long time I would have to be
patient and demonstrate each task step by step and accept
occasional errors as par for the course.  Slowly my helper began
to catch on.  The responsibilities expanded into action assembly,
Removing old finish from sound boards, even using some power
equipment.  It wasn't long before my helper was no longer just a
"helper", but rather significant asset to my work, greatly
reducing time spent on rebuilds and significantly increasing my
productivity.

On February 19th, 2000, I will be marrying my helper.  She and I
have been best friends for many years now and soon I will have a
permanent shop assistant!!

Rob Goodale, RPT
Las Vegas, NV