The dark side of Dell.
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| Dell's darker side. |
I took the above photograph around 1982 and made Dell an 8x10 of it because he liked it so much. He found that it represented a side of him that he was only too aware of but, as a whole, kept in line for the good of his family, job, and friends. Occasionally you saw it, but only briefly, but if you were the focus of it there was no rock big enough to hide behind. He could really let go and share his most intimate thoughts with great vitriol and clarity. Then, as fast as it came, it would be quickly swept aside unless conditions continued to provoke it.
That was a place you where didn't want to be. Dell was a natural leader and needed control to ensure things were done the right way, at least towards his way of thinking. He was always open to other options and readily agreed to consider alternative points of view. However, when a decision was made there would be a fire in his eyes and heart daring anyone to make him change his mind. However, Dell would often ruminate on a situation and could change his mind over time, if he could see the other side of things. Although he had a certain amount of pride, he really valued family, friends, and loyal co-workers and would capitulate occasionally.
The following is a good example of this. Dell had left the construction site and I was to clean up things and move his truck back to his base of operations. I got everything packed away and went to start the vehicle but found it would not work. Leaving it there overnight was not really an option, so I phoned his brother Charles to come and lend me a hand. We decided it would be an easy thing to hook a chain up to it and tow it back to Dell's. There were three serious issues though, which neither of us considered at the time. The first was the fact that this was a two ton truck loaded with concrete equipment. The second was that my friend's vehicle was a Chevette weighing perhaps a third of the weight of the truck. Lastly there was the issue of where to attach the chain.
It was dark as I lashed the chain around what I thought was a good solid part of the truck's frame with the other end being securely attached to the car. Charles drove the car and I started the truck which was in neutral. As we took up slack in the chain slowly and then gave it just a little more gas we heard a large snapping sound and experienced a significant jolt. It seemed I had wrapped the chain around the lower radiator hose and the force ripped it away and did significant damage to the unit. We tried again with more success and finally got it back to Dell's.
In the morning Dell was none too pleased with me. I experienced the darker side of Dell for a moment, then he calmed down and realized that at least the truck was back with everything safe. he insisted I pay for the damages though, and I knew there was no point arguing. So, when the bill came in I covered it. There was no malice for the event, and we never spoke of it again until a few years later. It seems that he wrestled with his decision over the years and eventually reimbursed me for the full amount. It is funny to think of how he ponders things; Dell must have always had a lot going on in his mind at any one time.
On a side note, it turns out my friend / Dell's brother paid the ultimate price. He fried the clutch in the little car because of the stress it endured. I guess that rubber smell was not a good sign after all. He didn't tell me about it until years later, and I never experienced even a moment of anger. He bore it all stoically. It's a good thing too, because I couldn't afford to fix that too!
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