I didn't know it at the time I made the decision to become involved with electricity, but it seems I came from a long line of electricial related people.
My dad's mom worked as office manager for my dad's local REA company, way back before I was born (pre 1953).
My dad worked for various utilites, ending up at the last one, which was called Centel. He retired after 32 1/2 years with them.
I started messing around with electricity mainly by tearing apart old radios, tvs etc... at a youge age. In sixth grade I won the local grade school science fair with an electrical magnet.
I have been in the field for about 28 years now. Worked my way up from an electrician's helper at the local VA hospital, where I finally realized that I needed to get my licence. Worked for a local shop, getting my residential wireman's licence, then my journyman's licence. Went to work for another shop, where I finally got my Master's licence. Was offered a job with the local city government, as their electrician and as a back up inspector. How could I refuse, with the type of benifits they offered? Been with them for over 15 years now, where I have been the chief inspector for almost 10 years.
A little story about my dad. At one time, when he was still alive and working for the electrical utility, my older brother also worked there, but in the generation plant. I was working as journyman, wiring houses. There was a time I could say that my brother generated the electricity that my dad transmitted to a house, where I would put it to work. Pretty cool, huh?
Another little story. My youngest son, who does not seem to want to work in the trade, stuck my keys into an outlet when he was about 2 years old. Buzz-Zap. Boy did he run, right over to me and up into my lap. If the previous posts are any indication, he may come around and want to work in our field after all.
Oh, by the way, my oldest son did go into our field, receiving his Master's licence last year. So, in reality, he is the 4th generation Miell to work in the electrical field.
Enough musing, guys. Keep up the great posts on this, and other sites.
Rick Miell
