Looking good

Masonry Construction, Jan, 2003 by Rick Yelton

My daughter won't stand next to me anymore as I check out materials at our local library. She just turned 14, and the slightest chance of standing next to a very "uncool" father is enough to cause her to go to the end of the longest checkout line that she can find.

What makes her father so "uncool" is that I have become a library celeb of sorts. Every librarian knows that I have been checking out audio books for years. My daughter isn't bothered by my hearing-reading passion because audio books are popular with many suburbanites making the long drive to and from work.

What makes me a celeb is that I am in the process of listening to every library-owned cassette by author in alphabetical order. I started several years ago at "A," and now I'm pulling from the "M" shelf. My engineering approach to book listening has a solid base. I have found that publishers are less likely to record a lousy book. And by listening to every offering, I have been sharing head time with many popular authors whom I never would have read on my own, such as Auel, Bradford, Brown, and Kuran.

My daughter thinks that my ordered listening habit is okay, but there is another cause of my "uncoolness." I only check out cassettes, not CDs. And with our library's current budget constraints, they have been buying more CDs than tapes. Consequently, I can't stop myself from complaining at each checkout about the lack of current tape selections.

I'm not finding much support for my pro-tapes cause. The older librarians don't even think that there should be any shelf space for audio books. And the young librarians only own CD-ROM players. I even have a pro-tape problem in the real world because many rental cars only have CD-ROM players. I just seem stuck in the way that things always were.

It's funny how one can get into such a rut. Sometimes we are so busy with daily tasks that we really are not aware just how much things have changed. It doesn't take long to be "uncool."

Just look how different your work environment is. While our customers still desire the high quality of the mason's handiwork, it's surprising to note how many labor-saving devices are now helping our crews accomplish their work. Manufacturers of scaffold systems, premixed mortar, material telehandlers, and hoisting devices, just to name a few categories, have provided contractors with great productivity tools.

And when you visit the World of Masonry or browse our special product coverage beginning on page 30, I'm sure that you'll discover even more items that will soon become jobsite must-haves.

I'm learning about the power of change in another way as well. Later this year, we are planning on publishing a special issue that highlights MASONRY CONSTRUCTION'S 15th anniversary. We will be putting together articles that highlight the advances that our industry has made in this time period. The list is quite impressive.

Over the next few months, we will be contacting key people to ask for their impressions of how these changes will extend into our industry's future. I encourage you to be a part of this important industry statement.

As part of our research, I'd like to know what you think the significant changes have been over the last 15 years. You can call me at 630-705-2601 or e-mail me at ryelton@hanley-wood.com. Another great way is to stop by our booth at the World of Masonry/World of Concrete or go out to the Masons Challenge area in the Silver parking lot on Wednesday afternoon and let me know your thoughts.

Since I'm writing this just before Christmas, I'm hoping technology will soon catch up to me. There is a box just the right size under the tree with my name on it. So if you see me in Las Vegas with my headphones, I'll be able to show you the new CD-ROM player that my kids bought for me.