Grumpy Old Ganz
Living with the consequences
Every day we are faced with having to make choices and along with that comes risk versus reward.
Trying to stay ahead of the weather, I had to make a choice recently and I spent a week analyzing the situation.
A large oak limb broke off a tree and found its resting place on top of one of my sheds, destroying half of it.
Every time I ventured outside I would walk around the shed surveying it very carefully.
The limb was 14 inches in diameter and roughly 20 feet long. The branches were hung up on the half of the shed that was still standing.
Early one morning I decided to take on the task and remove the limb. However, windy conditions and a frosty stepladder made for a not-so-wise choice!
I was eight feet up on the ladder and began to re-think my decision as I started cutting away with my chainsaw. I knew which way I wanted the limb to roll off the shed, but my calculations were wrong. I had overlooked a heavy branch that was still attached to the backside of the main limb, causing it to roll the opposite way.
In the process, the chainsaw was knocked out of my hands and ended up stuck in the limb as it all went crashing through the good half of what was left of the shed.
If I would have tried to hang on to the saw it would have taken me down too. But, for an instant, I thought I was a goner anyway. I lost my footing and started to slide, holding on to only the outside of the ladder with my hands, while my feet never touched a rung on the way down.
The limb and the chainsaw, which was still running, were inside what was left of my shed…leaving me to figure out how to get it out of there. I do have some work ahead of me!
Making the “right” choice isn’t always easy…unfortunately we all have to live with the consequences that follow...good or bad. In this case, my choice may not have been a good one, but it could have been much worse and turned out really bad. I guess I feel pretty lucky!