What Is A Cable Stretcher?

As part of my orientation to my first job after college, I took rotations pulling orders in the warehouse to get my hands on some of the parts that I would eventually start selling. I was back at my desk making some cold calls when Terry, the kind old soul that worked in the warehouse, tapped me on the shoulder. His eyes were filled with terror. He needed help. Apparently, he made a cut on a large reel of cable for a customer that was too short. We supplied contractors who were building large fiber-optic networks, and these cables were in high demand and very expensive. Terry frantically asked me to help him find a cable stretcher.

Initially, I remember thinking, cable stretcher … is that a real thing?

Terry was in such a state that I pushed that thought aside and told him I would help. He had me start calling all of our other locations and ask to borrow their cable stretcher. I dove in headfirst. I called the Houston branch and told the manager about our dire situation, hoping he could help Terry. He abruptly said “no” and hung up. I called our Baltimore branch, our Norfolk branch, and our Charlotte branch all with similar results. Why were these jerks not helping poor old Terry? Just as I was picking up the phone to make another plea for help, I had an uneasy feeling that I was being watched. I slowly turned around to find Terry, this time with a huge smile on his face, and the rest of my office standing behind my desk. Yep … You guessed it. The cable stretcher emergency was a version of rookie hazing. I had to commend old Terry on his convincing delivery. The only way to get experience is to step into the fire. Learning lessons may be at your expense, but they fund your growth.