The Deckbuilder and the Homeowner
A carpenter was constructing a deck when the homeowner pointed out that he cut one of the boards too short.
The carpenter replied with, “No sir, I shortened the length of that board on purpose. That was to make room for the steel reinforcement pole that needs to be put there in order to secure the deck in the event of high winds.
“Why would you only put a steel reinforcement pole only on the left side of the deck?” the homeowner asked.
“Oh, I actually planned to put one on both sides of the deck-but I couldn’t put one on the right side because a large rock in the ground prevented me from digging to secure the pole,” said the carpenter.
“That’s interesting, because you also built my neighbor’s deck-and I didn’t notice any steel reinforcement poles on either side of his structure,” said the homeowner.
“Well, I didn’t care for your neighbor that much because he was always haggling with me, so I didn’t go out of my way to do anything extra for him,” said the carpenter.
“That neighbor you spoke of is my best friend,” said the homeowner.
Finally the carpenter replied, “Thanks for pointing out to me that I cut that board too short.”