Eyeing Life

Our friend was working on a construction site, prepping to shingle a roof for his family’s business, when he noticed one of the guys on the crew eyeing the house from a distance.

Suddenly, the crewmember raised his hand in front of his face so that he was looking at the house through the “L” of his index finger and thumb.

“What are you doing?” Our friend, a company owner, asked the man.

“I’m measuring to see how many shingles we need.” The guy claimed, explaining that the area between his thumb and index finger was generally about 100 square feet.

“Um…” Our friend was a little dumbfounded by the guesstimating. “Does it matter how far away from the building you’re standing?”

(Like what if he backed up twenty feet and the entire house fit between the “L”?)

“Nahhhh.” The crewmember assured him. “You can measure from anywhere.”

I imagine the guy confidently carting in a single pack of shingles to roof an enormous house and can’t help laughing. But the guy’s technique also makes me wonder:

• what in my life am I mis-measuring because I’m failing to give it the attention and care it deserves?
• which of my observers are asking the kinds of questions that will help me prep well?
• am I listening?