January 1968

Frankie Mayson had just gotten into the carpenters’ union and was meeting with the business agent to review his benefits. He knew he should be happy about finally getting in, but with no one around to celebrate with, he just wasn’t feeling it.

It was obvious from the agent’s appearance that it had been a long time since he had done any carpentry work, or even hammered a nail. Wedged into his swivel chair, he looked almost as wide as he was tall, and the top buttons of his shirt were unfastened to accommodate his bulging neck. A half-eaten hoagie, which Frankie guessed was his mid-afternoon snack, was on the corner of his desk. The agent had reluctantly pushed it aside when Frankie arrived and glanced at it often as he completed the paperwork.
“The last piece of the package is your life insurance policy,” he said. “How old are you? Twenty-five? Twenty-six?”
“I’m twenty,” Frankie said. “Born December 18, 1947.”
“Damn, you look a lot older. Must have started right out of high school. You’re lucky. Lots of guys don’t get in the union.”
Frankie smiled at the comment. He rarely thought of himself as lucky any more.
“Anyway, I know you young guys don’t think about stuff like life insurance, but it’s important for the people you leave behind.”
Frankie nodded.
The business manager looked him over. “So the guys call you Big Frankie huh? Are you healthy?”
At six-two and two hundred forty pounds Frankie was clearly overweight, but not nearly as much as the guy asking the question.
“Healthy enough,” Frankie said, feeling his neck muscle twinge.
“Okay,” the agent replied, sensing Frankie’s discomfort.
“It doesn’t matter anyway. As part of your package you get a $25,000 life insurance benefit. No medical exam required. And,” he added with enthusiasm, “it doubles if you die on the job.” The agent chuckled at that and leaned forward. “I got a quick story to tell ya about that.” He treated himself to a bite of the hoagie, and as he chewed, he looked around as if he was about to give up a highly guarded secret. “I knew this broad once who was married to a union plumber. They were fighting all the time and probably heading for divorce. One night the guy has a heart attack at home and checks out right before her eyes.”