Howie Snuffelbean and the Fire Hydrant

By Edward Scott Anthony

Howies Dad laments giving his son everything he wanted, and he regrets not teaching him the responsibility of earning money for himself. He hopes the summer job at the Water Company is just the thing Howie will need to make him realize what hard work is all about and how necessary it is to learn responsibility.

Howie is challenged by Joe, a fiery, impish, and likable young boy. Joe becomes Howies arch enemy and nemesis when he knocks Howie off his intellectual high horse. He is also challenged by the two other boys who play a role in Howies development.

Over the course of the summer months, events, people, and circumstances mold and shape Howie into something he didnt think he was capable of becoming: a confident and independent young man.

Howies perception of life is flipped up-side down by his foremen Myron and his crew. Through hard work and tough love, the four boys are transformed into four young men, ready to take their place in the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490856070

Edward Scott Anthony

Mr. Anthony has been working with young people for nearly a generation He has gained insight into their attitudes and personalities from his many years of coaching, mentoring and officiating sports events. His philosophy was to encourage young people to be the best they could be by understanding their God given talents and then use them to better serve others. He imparted wisdom to them by teaching what could be achieved by dedicating themselves through hard work, fair play and a desire to accomplish something with their lives. Working with young people has always been his passion. He attributes this to the structure and nurturing he received as a child. His Dad was a strong influence on what it meant to work hard and his mother taught him how to bring the best out of people by encouraging them. Much of his writing has been influenced by personal experiences that shaped and molded his desire to share the best of what life has to offer.

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Copyright © 2014 Edward Scott Anthony.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Author Credits

To my wife Jeannie who spent countless hours editing and making the final story come to life.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-5605-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-5606-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-5607-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014918296

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/04/2014

Contents

Dedication

A New Dawn

Day One: A New Beginning

On The Road

Water, Water Everywhere

Back At Hally-Sally

New Crew

Paint The Town

The Big Dig

Boys To Men

Get The Lead Out

Summer’s End

Epilogue

DEDICATION

T o my wonderful wife, Jeannie—thank you for your encouragement, motivation, and understanding. Without these, my dream would not have become a reality. I will forever be thankful to you for being My Girl.

To my children, Julianne, Deana, and Joshua—you gave meaning to my life and provided light during my darkest days. You filled my life with joy, happiness, and hope. I love you all more than you can imagine.

To my beloved son, Eddie—you were a gift and a blessing from God. You stayed such a short time but were a tower of strength and encouragement to all those you touched. Nothing will ever fill the emptiness in my heart for your gentle soul. The years have passed, but the pain of your loss has never left. I can only imagine the joy when I see you again. I love you.

A NEW DAWN

H i, my name is Howie Snuffelbean. I want to tell you about my first summer job. You might think, A summer job? Big deal—everybody works, don’t they? Well, this is my story—a very special story about life and work and how the job changed me forever.

You see, I came from a family of privilege. My daddy was rich, and I had everything I ever wanted since I was a kid. I never had to work for anything. Thinking about working was something other kids did, but not me, Howie Snuffelbean. I was rich!

One night, Daddy sat me down and said, Son, you are eighteen years old, and you will be going to college in the fall. It will be a lot of hard work, and you will face long hours of studying if you want to become a lawyer—or anything else, for that matter. I know you are a great student. You have made excellent grades through high school, and I am proud you finished number one in your class. I am sure you will do well at Harvard. There is one thing, Howie, that has troubled me for years.

What’s that, Daddy?

I failed to teach you the responsibility of being independent and how to develop good work habits. You are spoiled, Howie; I blame myself for that. I only hope it’s not too late for you to change. You see, son, the world is filled with educated derelicts.

What do you mean? I asked.

It means that many people are educated and have the knowledge to become successful but never amount to anything because they are not willing to work hard to accomplish their dreams. Do you understand what I’m telling you?

Yes, I do understand.

Good, because the summer job you are starting tomorrow will be a good learning experience for you. You will learn what it means to work hard and have a healthy respect for the money you earn and how it is spent. Remember, no one is going to hand you money for doing nothing. You’re going to have to earn it.

I don’t know why, Daddy. You are rich, and you always give me what I want.

Yes and therein lies the problem, Howie. Unfortunately, you think you are entitled to get whatever you want. I have done a horrible job teaching you about responsibility and the value of hard work. You know, money doesn’t grow on trees. You have to earn it.

Earn it? I never thought about that, I said.

Well, son, from this point on, you need to start thinking about it because with the money you earn this summer, you will be responsible for paying for your books and entertainment while at college. Most of your education is covered by your scholarship. I will pay for your room and board, but everything else is your responsibility. And if you run out of money, you will have to get a part-time job at school.

What? I asked. Are you kidding? Why should I have to work when you can afford to pay for everything including my books and entertainment?

Because until you learn what work is all about, you will never have an appreciation for the things you acquire. A good education alone is not enough. You have to work—and work hard—to be the best you can be, no matter what you want to become. To be a great attorney requires you to work long and hard, studying, taking tests, and reading for hours on end. No one is going to say, ‘Howie, your dad is rich; here is your law degree.’ Do you understand what I’m trying to teach you?

I guess, I replied.

Remember, son, an education alone is only half of what is important in life. If you have an education with good work habits, there is no telling what you can accomplish. As a matter of fact, did you know that there are more self-made millionaires without college degrees than with college degrees?

No, not really.

Yes, replied my dad, and do you know why?

No, why?

Because they had a purpose, a vision, and dedication and believed in the American dream. That dream is possible to everyone in this great country we call America.

Dad continued, "I never told you my story and how I became successful. I should have told you years ago, but with mom passing away and raising you on my own, time has just slipped by. Now in just a few short months, you will be going off to college. Your mother was a wonderful woman and loved you very much. Her dream was to see you become successful and marry and raise a family, but unfortunately, she never realized her dream. I married your mom when she was only eighteen and I was