If a job is worth doing ...

In the 20 years that I lived with my father, how many times did I hear: "If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well!" The answer can only be "countless times!" I know this to be a fact, because those words constantly return to me 43 years later.

Yesterday I tuned a hundred year old McPhail upright piano. It was an absolute pleasure. A rare thing to say about a hundred year old piano. With the exception of new dampers and new bridle straps, the piano had all original parts. It had been maintained over the years, but what was really inherent in the piano was the careful workmanship imparted in a Boston factory so many years ago. The quality came through. And once my work was done, it was a joy to play!

While enjoying the job, I took a moment to look at McPhail's declaration of its commitment to quality, which was displayed on the plate of the piano:

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The inscription clearly reads, "Made on Honor, Sold on Merit". I can only hope that my own work would meet the standards of McPhail in 1915. If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well.

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