If you could learn a trade — say carpentry, electrical work, roofing, landscaping, plumbing, flooring, drywall — you name it — what skill(s) would you love to have in your back pocket?

Yesterday I posted for the Weekly Photo Challenge and didn’t respond to the writing prompt, and since I’m not jazzed by today’s prompt I’ll give you glimpse into my life as a hanger of drywall.

Not many people know about it, but in my mid-twenties I learned how to hang sheet rock and actually got paid to do it. A regular customer at my brother’s restaurant was willing to give us a try as general laborers after the restaurant my brother owned closed. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing but apparently I could take direction reasonably well and was neat in my work.

I became quite expert with tape, mud, a hawk and trowel, and I’ve used this handy skill at least twice in later years. During my days of unemployment I helped my husband, who was working on a kitchen remodeling job, to hang, tape and mud some pretty intricately cut wall board. He of course, did it better than I, but was impressed with my effort.

Today’s thank you is simple; it’s to that former customer, Dave, for giving all of just jobs when we needed them. And for taking a risk to teach a bunch of newbies a skill that we could use time and again!

Tools of the Trade:

• The Daily Prompt and a Short Story: Family Baseball Legends
• Daily Prompt: If I Had a Hammer
• Daily Prompt: Everything under control – Who Needs a Hammer?
• Teach Me How To Do… Anything.
• If I Had A…Wrench?