My home office overlooks a construction site.¹ My curiosity about construction grows as the months pass and the skyscraper takes shape. How does each worker know what to do on such a massive and intricate project? Mainly I contemplate the workday of the crane operator, whose desk is the same altitude as mine.

Occasionally I spot the crane operator climbing or descending the stairs. They must have impressive quads.

This week the crane’s Christmas lights turned on. Did the construction crew have the foresight to attach them in the summer before erecting the crane, or are they a permanent fixture like the lights on my dad’s outdoor trees? Did some poor sap draw the short straw and have to climb out and string them up? Is that one of the crane operator’s duties?

I’d like to make friends with a crane operator. And not just because of their impressive quads.