THE WRIGHT WAY, VOL. 1
Name’s Phil Wright.
Mister Wright if we are doing business.
My daddy used to tell me a man can forget his lunch or forget his tools, but he can’t ever forget his respect. Said it was like his Sunday suit — you don’t leave home without it, and you don’t let nobody tear it off your back.
And that’s where I want to start this little column of ours.
Respect is the first safety rule.
Always has been. Always will be.
See, folks think safety starts with goggles and gloves and lock-out tags. That’s all good — don’t get me wrong — but those come later. Real safety starts with how we treat one another when we show up in the morning.
You respect a man, you look out for him.
You respect a woman on your team, you listen when she speaks up.
You respect yourself, you don’t cut corners.
Respect keeps more people alive than any rulebook ever printed.
I learned that wearing a uniform and later wearing a hardhat. I watched whole crews move like a single machine because they trusted each other. I watched other crews trip over their own boots because nobody wanted to hear the quiet voice in the corner saying, “Hold up. Something ain’t right.”
Respect slows you down just enough to think.
It’s the pause before the mistake.
It’s the voice that says, “Let me give you a hand,” instead of, “Figure it out.”
Now, you’ve probably noticed the world’s getting louder, faster, and meaner than it needs to be. A man can barely check the news without feeling like he’s being shouted at by somebody who hasn’t lifted anything heavier than a coffee mug.
But out here — in the places where things get built and repaired — we still live by the old rules.
The Wright Way, we’ll call it.
Not because it’s mine, but because it’s been passed from hand to hand for longer than any of us have been breathing.
And the first rule is RESPECT.
Respect the crew.
Respect the craft.
Respect the hours and the hands that built the road you stand on.
Respect yourself enough to show up ready.
Respect the folks who taught you and the ones coming behind you.
Do that, and everything else — skill, pride, unity, and strength — it all falls in line like well-laid brick.
I got fifty rules in my back pocket, and we’ll walk through ’em every Saturday. One lesson a week. One measure checked. One step forward together.
But for now?
Just this:
Respect is the first safety rule.
Do it the Wright way — every day.
