DEAR ABBY: I was so infuriated by the letter from the woman (I won't call her a lady) who couldn't stand having workmen using her bathroom facilities, that I had to cool off for a couple of weeks before I could even respond.
My husband is a carpenter. His work clothes may be stained (they get that way in his business), but they are clean. He showers every night to wash off the dirt -- sometimes filth -- he gets while he works.
One cannot be stupid and be a good carpenter, plumber or electrician. If he's self-employed, as my husband is, he must also be a good businessman. He works hard without such benefits as company-provided health insurance, paid vacations and pension plans. If he's injured on the job, we'd better have money in the bank to live on because the state doesn't have workmen's compensation for us. And if business is slow, he can't file for unemployment. These are some of the reasons why good carpenters, cabinetmakers, plumbers, etc., are becoming an endangered species.
People like her are usually very grateful to have a workman show up when they have a problem -- sometimes in the bathroom she's so stingy with. Maybe somebody should remind her that Jesus was a carpenter. Would she begrudge him the use of her facilities? -- FURIOUS IN FORT WAYNE
DEAR FURIOUS: Well said, lady. Very well said.