He Knows a Guy

My dad knows a guy.

Whether you need concrete poured, a wall painted, a tree chopped, a leak fixed or eyeglasses repaired, my dad knows a guy. He always knows a guy.

It’s a wonderful luxury to know the guy who knows the guys.

There’s only one problem. My dad also changes guys … rapidly and without much warning. Sometimes you’re still calling the old guy, only to discover that he’s already moved on to a new guy. Talk about awkward.

You see, even though dad knows a guy, he is always on the lookout for another guy who does it better or cheaper or both. Plus, if the first guy happens to be traveling on vacation, it’s always good to have a backup guy.

Often you’re left scratching your head, wondering why dad changed guys. After all, it’s never some calamity that leads to the change. Rather, he just seems to know when to do it, like a baseball manager knows when to change pitchers. When you meet the new guy, you usually agree that he made the right call.

Sometimes the status quo is the right call. For example, dad has been through multiple ophthalmologists, but still has the same dentist.

By the way, it’s good to be dad’s guy. Since dad has developed a reputation for knowing the right guy, his guy stays pretty busy.

Even in these connected times, it’s surprisingly difficult to find honest people who do quality work at a fair price. So whether it’s taking a dent out of a car door or sharpening a lawnmower blade, I rest easy knowing my dad knows a guy.