ECN Forum Forums Thread Like Summary - It's been an interesting career

When I was 19, I joined the Navy. My dad advised me to become an Electrician's Mate. It was a wise move. Four years later, I entered an apprenticeship program and landed my Journeyman's License. Fast forward three years, and I'm an Estimator with a Master's License. From there, things took a strange turn. I ended up working for a road construction contractor supervising their electrical work. Let's just say that it was heavy on the construction and light on the electric because I had more to do with concrete, heavy equipment, rebar, traffic control, and cranes than I did electric work. In another twist of events, I found myself in Afghanistan for a little over two years. I came home to a job I hated. As it turns out the feelings were mutual. They ran me off after about three months (one of the best things that ever happened to me). I sort of drifted for a few months (which was exactly what I needed after being in Afghanistan). During my job search, I ran into my kid's high school choir teacher at the Big Blue Box store (I had a project going at the house). I told her I was looking for something to do on a daily basis for pay. She told me to send her husband an email with my resume. Long story short, I landed here at the Cogen. It's been eight years, and the best job I've ever had. Essentially, I'm back doing what I was doing at 19 years old: keeping the plant running. I recently finished a degree in Instrumentation, and I'm contemplating a degree in Engineering (a huge commitment). At 55, I don't plan on retiring any time soon. I was looking, and noticed that I joined this forum in December of 2001. It's been a short - almost - 20 years. It's hard for me to believe that this kid from the East side of Houston has made it this far. The common thread through it all has been electrical work. It's been an interesting career, and I don't see an end in sight. Forgive me for waxing nostalgic, but this forum holds a special place for me. I spent a lot of time here back in the day. Anyhow, it's good to see a few familiar faces.