Standing inside the ice truck, I slung the bags with all the speed and violence that my lean, 12-year-old body could muster, hoping Gene would fall behind and catch a 10-pound frozen block with his face. Instead, he received each one with a smile and grace—like Jerry Rice playing catch with Joe Montana in his backyard—and effortlessly tossed them into the convenience store’s outside freezer.

What sparked my fire?

It all started when, on the drive to the store, he made some comment about me being too slow and holding him up. That stung, and I was dead set determined to prove him wrong.

As steam curled off my back like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Gene commented, “Now, you’re starting to help me instead of hinder me.”

Forty-six years later, his words are still as fresh and chilling as the hot summer day he spoke them, yet I’m not mad about it. He was absolutely right.

I was slow. I wasn’t giving him my best effort. He was hustling through the day with a 100-pound weight strapped to his leg, paying $2 an hour for his troubles.

I learned valuable lessons that day, many that I didn’t fully appreciate until becoming an adult, a parent, and a business owner.

5 Lessons That Lasted a Lifetime

1 – The Person Paying Is Always Paying Attention

A wage is an investment. Employers spend the hourly wage hoping the employee earns them more money in that hour than it’s costing them. When Gene looked at a full truck of ice that had to be unloaded in eight hours, he knew my half-hearted help was slowing him down. To him, I wasn’t just a burden—I was a waste of money.

Over the years in my real estate title examination business, I’ve had very good employees and contractors, but there have been a couple of times when I knew exactly how Gene felt.

Nothing drains a business owner’s spirit faster than watching someone cash your check while your profits melt away.

2 – They’re Not Paying You to Make Things Harder

Most competent people would rather work alone than manage someone whose presence creates more problems than it solves. When Gene brought me along, he wasn’t looking for a project—just someone who wouldn’t actively make his day more difficult.

If you’re adding friction instead of relief, you’re not really helping at all. You’re expensive dead weight—not just in dollars, but in wasted time and the toll of frustrating the person counting on you.

3 – Why Speed Matters in Repetitive Tasks

That day on the ice truck, I wasn’t coding a rocket to Mars—I was just tossing bags of ice. Same motion, one after another, after another. The only thing that mattered was speed. No one was grading us on quality, finesse, or technique. The faster we emptied the truck at each convenience store on Gene’s route, the sooner we’d be done—and I’d be back on my Huffy Bandit, chasing the neighborhood kids before the sun dipped too low.

It was pure repetition. And repetition is where hustle shines.

I’ve tried to teach that to my son on all kinds of weekend projects—laying stones around a flower bed, digging holes for plants, driving screws into boards. The job doesn’t have to be complicated to deserve your best effort. In fact, that’s where it matters most.

Repetitive work isn’t mindless—it’s a chance to prove how much you care. The job might be simple, but your effort isn’t. If you’re going to help, really help.

4 – Say Something – Words Have Power

Gene didn’t sugarcoat it. On the drive to the store, he made a comment—something about me being too slow and holding him up. I don’t remember the exact words, but I remember exactly how they made me feel: hurt, pissed off, called out, yet determined to prove him wrong.

If he had stayed silent, I wouldn’t have known I needed to step it up. I might’ve spent the whole day confused, wondering why he seemed annoyed. Instead, I knew exactly where I stood.

Words can sting. They can motivate. They can stick with you for 46 years. But most of all—they make things clear. Even blunt, imperfect words are better than silence when something needs to be said because named problems become solvable problems.

If you’re in charge, don’t leave people guessing. Say something. The right words—even the rough ones—might be the spark someone needs.

5 – Moments of Truth Reveal Character

When Gene called me out, I could’ve sulked. I could’ve quit. I could’ve written him off as a butthole. Instead, something in me rose to the challenge – something I didn’t know was in me. These pivotal moments don’t just test us—they reveal us, maybe not in real-time, but over the coming years. They show who we are, and more importantly, who we’re capable of becoming.

It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being willing to get better when it counts.

The Ice Truck Epilogue

I lasted one week in Gene’s ice truck that summer, but the memories and lessons have survived for decades. Sometimes the most profound education doesn’t come from classrooms or books—it comes from uncomfortable moments when someone holds up a mirror and makes you take a hard look.

Gene, wherever you are—thanks for the $2 an hour and the wisdom that turned out to be worth a whole lot more. Because in the end, it’s clear: I’m either helping or hindering.

---

If you enjoyed this post and got value from it, please share it on your social media channels or send the link to a friend. I also invite you to follow the blog via email. 🙂