Big Trucks, Big Dreams

Big Trucks, Big Dreams 
By John R. Greenwood

Work Horse On A Foggy Morning

If you are from the Saratoga Springs, N.Y. area you are familiar with the well groomed trucks of William J. Morris Excavating. I have been witness to this company’s work for over thirty years. This post is a salute to a young man's dream of making his living by moving dirt and digging holes with big trucks and backhoes. I wanted to highlight a real life example of a young man who not only realized the American Dream, but also understood the importance of doing it with hard work and honesty. In all the years I have known Bill we have never spoken more than a few sentences to each other. We were not close friends nor were we classmates. The common thread was being young business owners in the 1980’s. Bill had a backhoe, I had an old milk truck. We both got up early and had our morning coffee side by side at the counter of a local diner. I knew who he was; the quiet guy with the brown and gold trucks. He knew who I was; the guy who bought a milk business and delivered milk to every place in town. We said good morning up to seven days a week for many years. If we saw each other in another venue we might not recognize each other. I have always had great respect for this quiet, hard working man. You don’t survive that long in business unless you are a person of integrity injected with a strong work ethic. William Morris is that guy. 

Bill if you ever run across this post know that it was done as a tribute to the working man. I can recall the early days when you could be spotted in a backyard digging a trench or burying a drainage pipe. You were always right there in the middle of things. In fact just a couple of days ago, and thirty years later, the sight was repeated at the place where I work. There you were shovel in hand, work boot deep in a ditch, leading the project by example. It has always been that way. It was as though you had clones spread out across town. 

As a young boy playing with my Tonkas in the dirt I dreamt of driving the big trucks, vroom, vroom, vrooming myself to sleep. I like most country raised boys of my era wanted that life. Bill Morris lived it and lives it still today. May every young person with a vision and solid work ethic realize their dream. I will be pulling for you all. 

Parked But Never Still