MAX’S WATCH

I met Larry about twenty years ago after opening our retail floor covering business in Hilton Head, SC.

I had received our first large commercial order from the First Presbyterian Church, and I was under pressure to find adequate labor to do the job. I found that obtaining the order and locating quality installers were two different things. Hilton Head did not have an abundance of quality installers.

I was introduced to Larry by one of the locals, and as things turned out, he was not only the best installer in the area, but he had an adequate crew to perform the job. We cut a deal, and the project was completed perfectly in record time. Larry and his crew were amazing. They were so choreographed one would have thought they were watching a ballet.

What was so surprising was how large of a guy Larry was. He was a monster of a man about six foot one and two hundred and eighty pounds. He was as agile as could be. As it turned out, Larry and his brothers were all local football heroes, with Larry being the best of the lot. He was the only one to play college ball but never finished school. After he returned home from Newbury College, he got married and started a family. He also put his time in as an assistant football coach at his high school alma mater, and he also became a little league football coach.

He was a very popular individual and well known throughout the community. He had married into a large, well-established family who owned one of the largest electrical concerns in the county. As a result, Larry was well situated for bigger and better things. His Dad was a top plumber, and between his father-in-law and his father, Larry was well connected with most local home builders. He had one problem, though. He needed a manager. He didn’t know how good he was, and he lacked control.

After observing his performance at the church, I decided to convince him to hook up with our company exclusively. I had the money and the wholesale contacts, and he had the local knowledge and the horses to run. An invincible combination, so we cut a deal.

Things were working out well for a couple of months, and then we had a disagreement. The more successful we were, the less controllable Larry became. The situation reminded me of the famous movie ”The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.” He became less focused and less reliable. He kept shooting himself in the foot. I broke it off. We went acrimoniously in different directions but always stayed in touch.

Our business relationship turned into a love-hate situation, but we always remained friends even though that part became strained at times. Through it all, we always had each other's back. As a matter of fact, Larry would occasionally smoke a brisket for me for our company Christmas parties. Cooking is one of his passions, and eating is another.

Larry has a son whose name is Max. Max is sixteen years old, and I love the kid. When Larry did work for us, he would often bring Max with him as a sidekick. Max was a miniature version of his father and always spent time with me when he was nearby. I was his favorite because I would feed him plenty of doughnuts and candy.

Today, Max is about five foot eleven and weighs in at two sixty-five. Like his dad before him, he is a tiger of a defensive lineman and gets lots of recognition. He will be an outstanding college prospect. A couple of things about Max: the only time he isn’t a good-natured kid is when he is on the gridiron. The rest of the time, he is a happy-go-lucky smiling kid with a high-pitched voice and rosy cheeks. He is well-grounded and extremely intelligent.

I hadn’t seen Max for a few months, so I asked Larry to bring him over to hang out a bit. A few weeks ago, Max showed up. Wow, has he grown? When he arrived, we chatted for a while and ate some cake. We spoke about everything.

I had noticed that Larry was wearing a watch I had given him a few years ago, and as a coincidence had it, I was wearing the identical watch. I’m a timepiece collector and have over two hundred of them. One day I had purchased our watches on a deal and gave one to Larry. As the story goes, when I die, everyone who comes to my funeral will get a watch. First come, first serve.

I decided to do something special for Max’s visit. When his dad called him to leave, I asked Max for a moment. I told him that his dad and I had the same watch, and I took my watch off my wrist and gave it to him. I told him that now he and Larry were very cool to have identical watches. Max asked if I was sure, and he couldn’t believe it. After he gave me a big hug, he turned to me, almost crying. I smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

I could hear Max and Larry talking in the showroom. Max was telling him about the watch, and Max asked him whether it was OK to take it. Larry told him that I wouldn't have given it to him if I didn't mean it and had a huge collection of watches, over two hundred of them. Then he told him that when Mr. Warren dies, everyone who comes to his funeral will get a watch. Max then said in a thunderous high pitched voice, “REALLY? THEN I’M GOING”. Everyone within earshot burst out laughing.

I know one thing. When it’s all over for me,

MAX WILL BE IN THE FRONT OF THE LINE,

even if he’s playing for South Carolina.