Dennis
Annabelli is an amazing guy. He is one of those people with whom I can sit and
talk for hours on end. Lots of times when I drop by his office we get into
trouble because time flies by and we aren't paying much attention. I have
always loved the stories of hard working Americans who make it in life, and Dennis
is one of those folks.
Recently one
Saturday just before lunch I dropped by to see him at his office. We started
chatting about life in general and what was going on with both of us. As the
conversation went on he began telling me stories of when he was a young boy and
his work in the family mushroom business. This was a story I had never heard.
He told how
his father would rouse them early in the morning and they would work all day
cutting mushrooms. All day was 12 or 14 hours with a short break for a
sandwich, then right back at it. Three rows running the length of the barns,
hundreds of feet long. The first row on your knees, the second bending over and
the third off a ladder. Working side by side with the migrant workers and never
letting up.
He would
miss three days of school during each harvest session and when he showed back
up and his teachers would ask him where he was, he said he would show them his
thumb. The dirt from the work would stain their thumbs black for days after.
The teachers knew that the farm boys were working, and that was that.
The family
mushroom business thrived for years. The chores and the hard work were never
questioned; when dad said to get something done you just did it. Eventually his
father went to work for one of the big soup companies, and the mushroom chores
were done.
Today many kids
have no idea what a family-owned farm or business takes to run. Many would have
a hard time just telling you what their parent does for a living. The hard work
that came with the mushroom business would be out of the question for most
young people today.
David M.
Kauppi, president Mid Market Capital, says historically less than 13 percent of
third generation kids raised in a family business will stay in the business.
When business founders were asked why they were successful, many say it is the
long days -- up at 3 a.m.
and down late -- that kept them from spending the money and thus the capital to
stay successful. Today the lifestyle and a taste of the good life many of the
founders’ kids enjoy keep them from sharing the passion and commitment of the
business founder. They like the perks but lack the drive. Sounds familiar to
lots of parents. I suspect.
The Bible
tells us to work hard. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, “For even when we were with you,
we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not
eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but
busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ
to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.” And Pope Paul VI agreed, "All life demands struggle. Those who have everything given to them
become lazy, selfish and insensitive to the real values of life. The very
striving and hard work that we so constantly try to avoid is the major building
block in the person we are today."
Some say the
introduction of the air conditioner to the American public in the late ‘40s and
early ‘50s is when Americans began to forget how to work hard. Many blame the
introduction of the computer and television as the end.
Hard work is seldom something anyone wants to do day-in and day-out.
For many it is just what they do. You get up, get the job done, then you do it
again the next day. We are gifted by God to be in a country where if we do get
up, work hard, strive and push, we can be successful and enjoy the fruits of
our labor. Many lives have been given to afford us this the gift that is America -- a
place where anyone who is willing to work hard and stay out of trouble can do
mighty things.
My buddy, Dennis, was raised old school and has never considered not
working hard and providing for his family. He is not alone. I was moved by his
story of the mushroom farm because he was so matter of fact, so sincere, and
the descriptions of the hard work were profound.
"When my dad said something, we just did it. We never complained
or questioned whether we had to do it -- we just did it," Annabelli
explained. In his eyes you can see a sense of love for family and a deep
respect for his father. The hard days as a child are now filtered by time, and
the memories are empowering and joyful.
When we looked up there were two employees standing by his door
waiting to talk to him, his phone had rang twice and his iPhone beeped once
with a text message. Dang it, we did it again. We got carried away in
conversation. I love that.
