Manuel Labor

Back in the day before hiring contractors and landscapers, there was Manuel Labor. He was the one-man mover, digger, cutter and lifter to another’s ideal layout. Manuel Labor lived on the worksite.

Manuel Labor became a popular regular to the Lowe’s, Home Depot, Hechinger’s, Harper’s and Pleasants hardware establishments with frequent purchases of utensils for moving and digging and cutting and lifting. Anything that was too large to carry on a bicycle, Manuel Labor arranged for items to be delivered with flatbed trucks and forklifts.

Trees were cut down and bagged and trashed and others planted. Holes were dug and then deeper and deeper until pits were made from moved dirt. Logs were moved into walkways and stacked upon each other for raised beds of flowers and vines. All the while Manuel Labor follows the crew boss directions without clue of the results under the hot sun and the neighbors stare.

Refreshed by light beer, Manuel Labor could expect a break while the birds and squirrels were being fed, then it is back to work until exhausting takes over. Manuel Labor, cut and bleeding and sweating and sore can only work on weekends but has his assignment listed when Friday arrives until Sunday’s sun goes down.

Today Manuel Labor works the same plot with less energy and no direction trying to thin out what was constructed so the age will have an easier time. With the latest instruments of moving, digging, cutting and lifting there maybe be time to hire another Manual Labor to finish the job; as if it will ever be finished.