Time, Trees, and The Future

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about time. I often do at this time of year. My dad passed away the day after Easter in 2015. He was 62. I was 31. In golf terms, it’s possible I’m already well into the back 9 of my own life.

Time is our most precious resource. Not money. You can always make more money. But nobody, from Warren Buffet to the Average Joe can make more time. Sure, you can try to tilt the odds of getting more time in your favor. But ultimately, we never know when our number will get called.

Time - Our Most Precious Resource

I’ve also been thinking a lot about a quote - “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.” The origins of the quote are a bit unclear, but the concept is easy to understand. Do something good for society in the future even if you don’t personally benefit.

It’s easy to find examples of selfish people who are not only failing to plant trees for future generations to enjoy but are also clear cutting the forests that were planted for them by previous generations. Let’s be better than that.

One of my previous posts highlights some of the ways in which young people are unfairly criticized. We as a nation are facing a shortage of employees entering the workforce. AI is disproportionately impacting entry level jobs in which young people build the skills they need to advance their careers. We’re pushing vices on young people whose brains are still developing like never before in the name of profits. It’s tough to be a young person today.

The stone industry is small. We have a lot of very talented people who are nearing retirement. With a shortage of new employees entering the workforce, we as an industry need to fight to ensure that we get our share of young, talented people who just need time and experience to grow their careers.

How can we do this? By investing our time - our most valuable resource. At WF Meyers, we have recently brought in two young men with limited work experience. One is a high school senior who comes in and shares my office twice a week. The other is full time on our production team. One trait they share? They both ask great questions. Young people, this is a cheat code to getting the old heads to like you - ask questions, be curious, and learn as much as you can.

Young People - Ask Questions! It’s a Skill That Will Help Advance Your Career.

The high schooler is off to college this fall. Will he work with us long term? Maybe, maybe not. Did he learn something useful? I think so. I shared my office, my contacts, and my time with him. He’s a smart kid, so he’ll pick out a useful nugget or two at the bare minimum. Before he leaves, I want to encourage him to do for someone else what we’ve done for him when he’s in the position to - pay it forward.

Our newest production team member is currently mining the wealth of information our more senior production employees have. That will benefit him whether he stays with us long term or chooses a different career path. Our more experienced folks are being generous with their time, and this will help the company and the employee in the long term. I could not be more grateful. Perhaps 30 years from now he will be sharing his knowledge with the next generation. I sure hope so.

My ask to you, the reader, is this - how can you share your most precious resource and help a young person even if you personally may never see the benefit? How can you invest in a young person in a way that could potentially benefit the stone industry in some way in the future?

Want to get involved? Talk to your local high school, vocational school, or community college. Take on an intern. Host a tour during Manufacturing Day. Speak to a class. If you are local to the Bedford/Bloomington area, reach out and I will be happy to provide specifics and make introductions.

It’s easier to cut a check. But your time is a more precious resource. Invest it in the future with no expectation for a return.

Let’s introduce young people to our industry, invest our most precious resource, and plant some trees. The future of our industry will thank you.

-Alex

Let’s Invest in the Future