Boss says, “No.” No to a safety harness for me. No to a hard hat for me. No to safety glasses for me. No, No, No. “Denver, the construction business is not a place for dress-up; job sites are real world, not play,” he admonishes. Dress up? Is that what he thinks? That I, the Head of Safety for Harrison Family Builders, really just want a Halloween costume? Fer reals? Just the thought of it makes me let out a small yelp.

As Boss pats my head, tells me to be a good boy, and heads out the door, I sulk away, trying to hide the fact that I’m pouting. No good. The Boss’s wife sees me and scolds me for pouting. She doesn’t miss a thing. But then she does something really strange. She pulls up this picture on her tablet and shows it to me.

“Look, Denver, it’s a blue heeler kinda like you. You’d look so cute dressed like this!” she exclaims.

You gotta be kiddin’ me! I’m supposed to look gruff, not like a daycare worker! I’m a construction safety expert for cryin’ out loud. No, no, no--a thousand times, no.

She continues, “You can be a Denver Bronco for Halloween!”

Just as I turn away and let out another yelp, That Cat comes by, flicking her tail. She glances at me, then at the picture, then back at me, kinda like this

It’s more than a dog of my important position can take. Without even givin’ it a thought, I spring to my feet, grab That Cat in my mouth, and give her a toss right up into the air. She growls and hisses. As she’s comin’ back down, I notice her smile is gone. She looks like this

I duck my head as fast as I can, and though I’m scared, the thought does still cross my mind Do cats really always land on their feet? Yes, the answer is yes. She lands right on top of my back, claws and all. Another yelp escapes me before I take off runnin’ at top speed into the dinin’ room and right under the table. The table scrapes That Cat off my back and onto the hardwood floor. That very slippery hardwood floor.

As That Cat glares at me like an OSHA inspector, I slide right into the back door--smack!--hittin’ my head in the glass. See, I do need a hard hat. Wish Boss was here to see this.

Then I hear it. It’s Boss. He has come back to grab his safety glasses and has seen the whole thing.

“Denver!” he shouts, at the exact same time his wife grabs me by my collar.

Now my feelins’ are hurt. How can he be upset with me, when all of this is That Cat’s fault? My pout returns as Boss opens the back door and takes me outside. “Denver,” he says, “as Head of Safety, you should know better. Your job is to insure that everyone at Harrison Family Builders stays safe. Remember, last month we talked about the importance of being a team player, of ‘blocking’ for others. That’s what we do at Harrison Family Builders, for everyone who is a part of our construction business and for our customers, and yes, even for That Cat. Think about Psalms 145:9 that says, ‘The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.’”

Boss went to work, I apologized to That Cat and to Boss’s wife, and I felt really good afterwards. But I also made it clear: a Halloween costume is not construction safety equipment, and I ain’t wearin’ no costume. I’ll hold out for the harness, hard hat, and safety glasses. ‘Til next time...