Not From Here

Today I had a conversation with one of my suppliers. He is a Polish immigrant and he has been here for about 25-30 years. He is from the farm country but was sent to learn a trade and became a machinist. How he came to be in this country I do not know. Suffice is to say that he came here in a time that was hard to get here from there. He knows about this blog and his sons (born here) have read it. This is a great man who has achieved the American dream, he came here to seek a better life than one he could get in his native land. When he got here he knew very little English, Russian was taught in Polish schools then. So he got small jobs working for other people some were assholes some were good guys. He learned the little things about running a business. When the time was right he started a family and bought a house. Something like this is pretty much taken for granted, people in this country think they are entitled to these things. Where he came from the state owned everything here you lived in your own place and were left to make it on your own. Knowing that here in America he could be the master of his own fate he started his own business. He machines parts that other people use to make things. In the space that he rents with machines that he owns, it is not easy work but you can see he does enjoy it. Making things that other people use in production; every time he rides in an elevator he knows that there is a good chance his parts are in that elevator cab.

My friend always worry about work and it drying up but he cannot see that if that happened he would be fine. His work ethic is unbelievable. I do not understand why everyone does not use this man; his priority is the quality of his product then he wants to know if the price is fair. I have never been disappointed in either case. With him it is not just work he is always asking me about American history especially the old west, the Civil War and the Revolution. As you all know I have great interest in these topics also. His favorite topic is the stock market he loves investing and trading I think it really gives him a sense of being American. We talk about World War II and the post war era in Poland things I knew nothing about until now. I have never heard him say anything bad about any race or religion and he does not agree with me on somethings we do agree on this; the stupidity level of liberals. He understands that Barack Obama looks to tax away his version of the American dream, because Obama has never seen the ravages of real centrally planned government. He cannot comprehend how 62 million people can vote for someone who says nothing. He cannot comprehend how 19 muslim men can hijack planes and fly them into buildings. He cannot comprehend how Congress can cast down upon our troops in the field and try to accept defeat over victory. He always says the same thing in these types of discussions "this is the greatest country in history why are these people so stupid?" Right now I think that is as American a question as we are ever going to hear. Funny how we never heard it during the campaign. Thanks Ziggy.