Duct Tape Man

Many of us enjoy goods and services on the backs and knees of hard working men and women toiling behind the scenes for us on a daily basis. One such individual is a man I do not know personally. I do not know his name, address or family details. He does not know me but we recognize each other because our paths cross almost weekly.  I know what his job is and the hours he works. And I know he wears duct tape.

DT Man works the overnight shift at my local grocery store as a shelf stocker. When I arrive at dawn on my Saturday morning foraging trips to the store, DT is usually finishing his shift. I hear him chatting with his fellow stockers about the usual components of life such as weather and store events. I often see him on his knees sliding cans of kidney beans and tomato soup into place with the well-ordered precision needed to showcase products for the upcoming day. I have never heard him complain, even when the aisles have been ravaged by frothing holiday shoppers. I am sure the weekend before Thanksgiving resulted in a few overtime hours as the cases of canned pumpkin and jellied cranberry sauces towered above the ends of the aisles. DT was on his knees again, replenishing the depleted shelves.

One would think DT would have no knees left, given the amount of time he spends using them. And I am sure an Advil or two is needed on occasion to alleviate discomfort. But DT also has a secret weapon. Duct tape. He has padding on his knees, secured in place by copious amounts of silvery duct tape. He is easily recognized with his gangly gait and shiny knee ornaments. He is clearly one who chooses to live with clever frugality.

Last Saturday, I met him in the aisle just as his shift was completed. His 5-buckle overshoes clanked a tune as he walked with a driven purpose. He was clutching two jars of salted roasted peanuts and he appeared to be on the hunt for something. I watched as he sprawled out on the floor and stuck his head in between two floor level shelves and moved items around. Clearly, salted peanuts were on sale and finding more of them was worth another bend of the knee.

Occasionally DT's shift is completed before I arrive and I see his lanky frame heading down the street, duct tape still intact. I don't know what his destination is but I presume he is headed to the bus stop or a place of abode, no car needed. He has the demeanor of someone who has finished a job and that is that.

I may not know much about DT but I know that I am grateful for his work. I depend on his knees to make sure I have the can of tomatoes I need for soup or the bag of brown sugar I am using to bake cookies. He makes my life easier.

Thank you, Duct Tape Man. You're better than the average Marvel hero to me.