From the earliest days of agriculture people have celebrated the conclusion of harvest time with a feast. When the last bushels and barrels are in the barns and the harvesting equipment is all stowed away for the winter, the party hats come out. The Industrial Revolution may have permitted most of us to spend our years doing something other than tilling fields, raising cattle, and driving a combine, but here at Tallman Equipment (where some of us still raise cattle on the side), the feeling of relief when the fields are all picked is palpable (and not just because our Indiana headquarters is surrounded by cornfields and things get very dusty when the farmers are out with their harvesters). The empty fields and full silos are a sign of another successful year, and we enjoy a good feast as much as anyone. Who doesn’t love a feast? But the beauty of Thanksgiving goes far beyond a big meal. What makes Thanksgiving so special is the chance to take a break and express gratitude for everything and everyone that has brought us safely through another year, and we have a deep gratitude for the linemen out there keeping our lights on.

Reasons for Gratitude

There are always things in life that are easy to take for granted. The air we breathe. Water from our faucets. Our cars starting in the morning. The lights turning on when we flip a switch. Chewing our food without biting our cheeks. For most people these things rarely make the list of “things I’m thankful for” at Thanksgiving dinner, but we immediately feel the absence of these things when things go awry. Whether it’s the sheer unpleasantness of chomping down on your cheek in the middle of a meal or whatever horrible series of events led you to be in dire need of oxygen, the moment you realize your predicament is the moment your need for these things comes into focus.

One of the biggest blessings that we have become blind to is ready access to electricity. It is remarkable to think that the world has had reliable and safe access to electricity for fewer than 200 years (and for many places, it has been much more recent than that), and yet, we do not marvel every time we toggle the little plastic protrusion on our wall, and we are greeted with an instant glow of light. We just assume that when we throw our burrito in the microwave, 60 seconds or so later, it will come out hot. The fact that we can come to expect these things will work as intended, and that it is so absolutely jarring when they don’t, is a testament to the modern electrical grid and the linemen who keep it humming. We are only two or three lifetimes removed from a time when most of us would have been tending fires and trimming lamps to keep warm and to see at night, and now we are thrown for a loop when a storm knocks out the power, keeping us from binging Netflix. How blessed are we to live in an era where we can just assume these amazing things will work?

Sometimes though, the ferocity of nature serves to remind us that we are a storm away from being taken back to those dark times before we had all the technology that electrical service enables. When storms like Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton come barreling through, it is an stark reminder that for all our technological advances, we are not invincible, but it is also when the best of humanity is revealed. The image of hundreds of bucket trucks lined up like tanks for battle ready to respond is a testament to the stout hearts of the linemen dedicated to restoring the power upon which we have come to depend. The assurance of knowing there is such an army, fighting not with rifles and mortars but with torque wrenches and shotgun sticks, inspires hope and pride in the face of natural disaster. These are the people that Tallman Equipment is so proud to serve and for whom we are so thankful.

As we gather around our tables this holiday season and enjoy the fruits of our labors, we should ensure that at the top of our list of things for which we are thankful are the men and women keeping our lights on and our appliances powered. Can you imagine trying to get through Thanksgiving day with your crazy Uncle Randy or your brother-in-law (who insisted on bringing tofurkey) if you didn’t have linemen out there to ensure we could still watch football? What would we do if Aunt Cathy couldn’t ruin another turkey? How would we go about decorating our houses for Christmas? What would the “season of lights” be without the electricity to power up all those lights? Without linemen, it really would be Black Friday.

So, this Thanksgiving, as we enjoy the comforts of home and the company of loved ones, join us at Tallman Equipment as we raise a glass to the linemen and electrical utility workers who keep our world running. Their work may go unseen, but its impact touches every aspect of our lives. Thank you to these dedicated individuals for the light you bring into our lives, and may you all have a safe and restful Thanksgiving!

Trust Tallman

Since 1952, linemen have trusted Tallman Equipment because they know we strive to always do the right thing. For Tallman, that means providing the best lineman tools and utility equipment combined with industry leading customer service and support. Our goal has never been to sell the most tools or the most expensive gear. We pride ourselves instead on making sure linemen have the best tools and gear to get the job done right. It is an honor to be able to serve linemen.

For more about renting from Tallman Equipment, check us out here, and to learn more about Tallman Equipment and the 1952 Society, check out our blog.