Angel on the Roof Top

Dearest Dad,

It’s been quite  a long time. The last time we spoke was shortly before you passed away so many years ago. It seems like such a long time ago with many lifetimes in between. I was reminded of you the other week, in the most strangest of ways, most would think or believe in any event. However, in the moment, I got something much needed as I work my way through a very trying circumstance on the home front—comfort.

As you see dad, things are kinda rough right now. And if I’m really honest, with you (and anyone else for that matter) I have been about as close to losing my faith than I have been for quite awhile. Things are getting really rough and I’m concerned for the well-being of not only myself (and my property), but everyone involved. From what I can see, we’ve got a very rough road ahead as a community.

However, a recent experience has restored my faith and you were a part of that moment in time.

But let me back up a sec and start again from the beginning.

Several years ago the dear bi-polar former president of my condo association decided to take it upon herself to hire, supervise, and sign the checks for a roofing contractor to put two roofs on our buildings. To say her little undertaking was a total failure would be an understatement. One of her various screw ups in that regard has come back to haunt us in a way which will most likely affect the future of my association for a very long time. I’ve been suspecting this for quite awhile. But one day a couple of weeks ago I got the proof I needed to finally move forward with investigating everything that happened and hold she and the roofing contractor accountable for everything that happened.

It’s been a rather unusually wet and stormy spring here in the DC area. As a result, one of the A/C condenser units on the roof of my building slid off of its pad. Because of the fact that I can hear all of the units on the roof vibrate against my ceiling, I’ve known for quite a while that they were never installed properly during the roofing project. While I knew the vibration was causing some serious issues with potential damage to the structures of the buildings. I had know idea the equipment that was installed on the roofs was light enough to be potential projectiles.

After we (my fellow board members and I) worked our way through the associated freekout with what happened, we decided to get the management company involved with investigating and doing an assessment in regard to how much damage has been done to the buildings. As part of this process, I took several photos of the equipment on the roof and of the roof itself. While I was searching through the photos to get an idea of what happened. I noticed something very unusual about re-design of the roof. For whatever reason, our dear former roofing contractor decided to close up half of the drainage on the front side of each building and off-load half of the drainage load to the back side of the building.

Thereby creating a tsunami on the roof each time we get a heavy rain. A tsunami that rolls across an equipment field with electrical housings connected to several hundred volts. Each time I think about the potential for disaster, it makes me shudder.

Shortly after discovering the surfing A/C compressor on the roof, I called the management company for my condo association and explained the situation to our managing agent. During the conversation, he expressed the belief that he had the perfect contractor to assess the damage and correct the flaws created by the roofing contractor hired by the dear bi-polar former president of the condo association. Several days later I met Mr. Collins in the parking lot of my building and joined him on the roof of my building to show him what the former roofing contractor had done.

He, like me, was astounded at what he saw. While he and I were looking at the roof and all the various idiosyncrasies of what had been done to the roof, he and I began to shoot the shit, as they say. While we were talking, he told me a totally random story of how 18 years ago he sold his favorite possession in the world, a Harley, to pay for the hospital bill for the birth of his son.

Dad, I nearly fell off the roof as a chill went up my spine…

I looked at Mr. Collins, with a most astonished look on my face, no doubt, and said, “Okay that’s too weird. My father did the exact same thing when I was born.”

“What are the chances?” I laughed. Mr. Collins merely gave me a sly grin.

We spent the rest of the time sharing stories of our lives post sobriety and lamenting the fact that if we’d only gotten sober earlier, how different things might have been. As we were getting ready to climb down from the roof, Mr. Collins told me he was getting ready to take road trip over Memorial Day weekend on his new bike to visit the kid and be there when his first grandchild is born. I once again got a chill and looked at Mr. Collins and said, “That’s a beautiful thing man.” He chuckled.

One of the fundamental principles of the program that Mr. Collins and I share is the fact that it’s a spiritual thing. It is that part of the program that I have come to believe saved my ass from complete self destruction. The belief that there is a guiding force of unconditional love that is available to all of us if we’re willing to tap into it.

I believe Mr. Collins has tapped into it big time and I have little doubt he is truly an angel without wings who appeared on the roof that day to deliver to me a much needed message.

Dad, I hope this finds you well.

Much love,