Day 20 – Making a Tradie

Transcript of Day 20 – Making a Tradie

Day 20 – Making a Tradie

Libby stood at the entrance of the busy construction site, half of her was excited to start and the other half was shitting bricks(1). It was her first day as an apprentice, and she was determined to make a good impression(2). She spotted her mentor, Dave, a seasoned tradie with a thick Aussie accent, cracking the whip(3) and giving instructions to a group of workers. Dave noticed her and walked over, a broad grin on his face.

“G’day, Libby! Ready to get stuck in(4)?” he asked.

“Absolutely!” she replied, trying to hide her nervousness.

Dave handed her a shovel and pointed to a pile of materials. “First task: mix that concrete. Just follow me(5) instructions, and you’ll be right(6).”

As Dave explained the process, Libby nodded, but her mind was swimming. His instructions were as clear as mud(7). She watched as he walked away, leaving her to figure it out, and realised she didn’t have the foggiest idea(8) what to do next.

As you’d expected, Libby’s first attempt was disastrous. The concrete was too runny. Her second attempt wasn’t much better either. The concrete was now too thick. Mick, her fellow apprentice, walked by and couldn’t resist taking the piss out of her(9) and cracked a joke(10).

“If that’s how you mix concrete, I’d hate to see you trying to cook up a storm(11) in the kitchen!” he laughed.

“Good one, Mick. That was so funny I forgot to laugh(12).” she said sarcastically.

Lunchtime rolled around, and the crew gathered in the shade. As Libby sat down her heart sank as she realised, she’d forgotten to pack her lunch. Not missing a beat(13), Dave grabbed an extra sandwich out of his eski and tossed it to Libby.

“Here you go, Lib.” he said. “Wrap your laughing gear around(14) that.”

Libby caught it in both hands and replied, “Thanks, Dave.” as she blushed with embarrassment.

Dave started spinning yarns(15) about past apprentices, emphasising the importance of patience and listening. He mentioned one who used to call bullshit(16) on his methods, thinking he knew better, but he always ended up making a fool of himself(17).

Libby listened intently, her doubts growing. She was determined to avoid screwing up and looking like a clown(18) at all costs. She knew she had to get her act together(19) and do better.

When Libby got back to work after lunch, Dave’s instructions seemed more convoluted than ever. Libby felt like she was about to break down. Mick, noticing her frustration, suggested, “Maybe we all need to have a smoko(20) and clear our heads21.”

“Good idea.” said Dave. “Take 5(22), everyone.”

They took a quick break(23), and Dave told Libby a story about the importance of patience in learning.

“It’s not easy to learn all these new things straight off the bat(24).” He reassured her. “Don’t give yourself a hard time(25) if it takes you a while to get into the rhythm of things(26).”

Dave, realising he might’ve skipped over the finer points(27) in his instructions decided to spell things out(28) in more detail and make them crystal clear(29). This time, he used simpler terms and gave a hands-on demonstration.

As time passed, Libby started to get the hang of things(30). Her confidence grew, and she began to smash out(31) tasks more efficiently.

Sue, the office manager, noticed Libby’s improvement and told her, “You’re no bad apple(32) after all. Just needed a bit of time to come into your own(33).”

“Cheers, Sue” Libby replied. “I’m slowly coming to grips(34) with the job, I think.”

Dave and Libby developed a mutual respect as the two started to work together like a well-oiled machine(35). They shared jokes and stories, and the worksite became a more enjoyable place.

As Libby’s apprenticeship continued, she completed a challenging project successfully, earning praise from the entire crew. Mick joked, “Look at you(36), mate. You’ve learnt the ropes(37) so quickly! Great stuff(38)!”

Libby reflected on her journey, from feeling lost to becoming confident. She thanked Dave for giving her a fair go(39) and not pulling the plug(40) on her while she was still finding her feet(41).

Dave responded with, “At the end of the day(42), it’s all about sticking it out(43). You just have to put your nose to the grindstone(44) and keep plugging away(45).”

Libby decided to continue her career in construction, inspired by the lessons learned during her apprenticeship with Dave. She joked with Mick about opening a can of worms(46) if they suggested new methods to Dave but decided better of it(47) in the end.

Everyday Libby left the worksite grinning from ear to ear(48), knowing that her journey was far from over. She was ready to meet whatever challenges(49) lay ahead(50), confident in her skills and her identity as a tradie.