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December
2, 2002
News Specialist Stacey Butler reporting
He traded a 136 mile commute to work for a walk to the park
with the boys he takes care of five days a week, eight hours
a day.
Twenty-five
years at MagCorp, Mark Wood says, and he was getting to be
unhappy. He was ready to make a change in his life.
"It was one of those timing things where you just have
to take a leap of faith and jump in there," Wood says.
And jump he did.
"I am a manny," he says.
Not to be confused with nanny.
"A nanny to me symbolizes a lady taking care of children,"
Wood says.
So he created his own job title.
"I just slid the 'm' in there because I just felt more
comfortable saying "manny," kind of heavy on the
first syllable," he says.
He traded industrial lifting -- for domestic lifting.
The parents of the boys he takes care of say Wood gives mannies
a good name.
"Mark has got the wisdom of Solomon, the wisdom of Job,
and the patience of the Eveready Bunny," says Mike Albrittons.
As it happens, mannies aren't easy to come by.
"I haven't met any other mannies yet," Wood says.
"People at first are surprised. I'm with five or six
kids and they're like, 'so which one's yours?' And once I
say none of them, they're like, 'what's going on?'"
But one afternoon with this manny and you understand.
"The guys love him, because he'll take them on adventures."
"He's the glue that's holding us together."
And he cooks too.
"If my wife had to give up either me or Mark, I hesitate
to think who she would choose," Albrittons says.
One small step for man, Wood says, one large step he hopes
toward breaking a stereotype.
"I don't think I'm setting a trend, but I'd like to see
that trend."
Wood and his wife have two grown children and raised eight
foster children.
He was working at an elementary school at nights after his
regular job when Albrittons met him and hired him.
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