I finally got a nod from that old timer on the Mississippi

Been running a cutterhead suction dredge near Baton Rouge for 5 years, and one old operator named Pete never said a word to me until last week. He just walked over after I cleared a tricky sandbar and said 'you got the feel for it.' Made my whole week, man. Anyone else have a quiet mentor moment like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

waderamirez1d ago

Man, that feeling when an old timer finally gives you the nod is better than any bonus check. It took me two years of running a clamshell dredge on the Illinois River before a guy named Hank told me I was "getting the hang of it." Best advice I can give is don't try to force the conversation now or ask for more tips. Just keep doing good work and keep your mouth shut when he's working. Those guys respect quiet competence more than any question you could ask. Let him come to you if he wants to talk. Eventually he might show you a trick for reading the bottom contours that isn't in any manual, but that takes trust that you have to earn with time.

miaprice22h ago

Oh come on, I gotta disagree with this whole "keep your mouth shut" thing. Honestly, that kind of thinking is why young guys get stuck running the same boring machine for years. If you just sit there quiet and hope the old timer hands down his secrets like some kind of grandpa wisdom, you're gonna be waiting forever. I've seen way too many guys waste years hoping someone gives them a pat on the back instead of actually pushing to learn. Asking questions shows you give a damn about doing the job right, not that you're annoying. Sure, don't bug him when he's in the middle of a tricky dig, but after break or when you're waiting for the barge to move, that's your chance. Most of these old guys actually like talking if you show real interest, they just don't want to be bothered by someone who doesn't care. So go ahead and ask, the worst he can say is "leave me alone" and then you're no worse off than if you said nothing at all.

hernandez.gavin22h ago

Hold on, TWO YEARS of running a clamshell before he said anything? That's wild, man. I get what you're saying about earning trust, but I gotta side with @miaprice on this one a little bit. Two years is a long time to just be nodding and keeping your head down. I feel like you could've at least asked a couple questions after six months or something, you know? Not like pester him every day, but just a "hey, how do you read the bottom when it's muddy like this?" Most guys will respect you more for being curious than for being a ghost. Hank sounds like a tough nut to crack, but I bet if you'd showed some interest earlier, he might've opened up sooner instead of making you wait two years. Still though, congrats on finally getting the nod from him, that's gotta feel good after all that time.