Wesley Laws Enjoys Tranquil Aspects Of Life
Laws takes pleasure in playing with his dogs and talking about his children
Name: Wesley Laws
Position: Utility worker, Housekeeping
Years at Duke: 8
What I do at Duke is: All sorts of things. I strip and wax floors, shampoo carpets and make sure daily routines like taking out trash are all done.
If someone wanted to start a conversation with me, they should ask me about: Pretty much anything. I'm game for any kind of conversation. I do enjoy talking about my children. I have two kids of my own and a stepdaughter.
If I had $5 million, I would: I'd take care of my family and a lot of people I know who can't afford things like medication. I know a lot of older people who are struggling with buying their own medicine and that rubs me the wrong way when I hear about it. I'm not big on money so I'd like to take care of others.
My first ever job was: I was a dishwasher at Durham Regional Hospital. I started when I was 16 years old.
My dream job is: I would love to be a nobleman - like a duke or someone who just has a title and delegates what's going on. I'd rather have the stress bumps on my head than the calluses on my hands.
What I love about Duke is: The ability to grow within Duke. You can do anything here because you're not set in only one spot. If you put your mind to it, you can move around and progress within Duke. Duke also offers job stability.
When I'm not at work, I like to: Play with my dogs - two pit bulls and a Chihuahua. I also like to burn trash. It's a weird hobby. I live in the country so I don't have a garbage man. I enjoy the simple leisure of burning the trash and watching the flames with my dogs because it's very tranquil. I know it sounds weird, but its' fun.
If I could have one superpower, it would be: Invisibility. I'd like to see what's going on when I'm not in a room. You could move around and do anything. The world is yours because nobody knows you're there. Who cares about flying when you could just sit on a plane or car and nobody would ever know you're there.
Something most people don't know about me is: I like to paint. Not artistic work but just regular, old painting.
The skills I bring to my work are: I think I'm pretty good at stripping and waxing. It's an art. People don't understand how hard it is to make a floor shine, even if it looks very easy. There's nothing like a shiny floor to me. It's rewarding, especially if you strip a floor bare and you've got it shiny again.
Wesley Laws was nominated as a Blue Devil of the Week by a
Duke colleague. Do you have someone special in mind for Blue Devil of
the Week? Nominate your colleague.