Stone Chickens

I didn't encourage humor in my firm. Always too serious.
​I regret that.

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One regret I have is that I didn't encourage humor. Always too serious. Almost all the funny incidents in my career happened before I started my own firm. The Stone Chicken is a case in point.


The firm I was working for had a small remodeling job for a local grocery store. They wanted to rearrange things to improve displays and come up with signage to designate departments. 

I was a first-year rookie, but I had worked a summer for this firm before coming onboard after graduating. The Boss, the Associate, and I (lord knows why) went to the store on a lunch hour to look things over.

The Boss came from a masonry family, father and brothers were bricklayers. The Boss's firm did a lot of schools. Masonry schools. We only thought in masonry modules - 8", 1'-4", etc.

On the way back to the office, I said, "I got THE SOLUTION".

The Boss bit.

I pitched the idea that we would use stone carvings of cows, produce, chickens to give the departments some character. I thought my facetiousness was transparent, but I was quizzed about how we would get the carvings. "I'll bet the monument company down the street from the office could handle it. Think of all the shapes they incorporate into tombstones." The Associate knows I'm joking and doesn't bother to say what a crap idea it is.

The Boss being a man of action called the grocery store owner and pitched my idea that afternoon. 
​
"Well, Rick, they are on-board with your idea. Give the monument guys a call and see what they will need from us."


[Oh, shit!]


"Boss, you know I was just putting you on about the stone chickens, right?"

[Silence...]


A 'Stone Chicken Idea' became a thing.