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Currents and Live Wires: Being an Electrician
I recently saw a huge billboard advertising for electrician careers. Its one of those billboards you can't miss when you're driving down the freeway. It got me thinking of the summer I spent in Oakland, California a few years ago. I was helping my brother move out to the Golden State for his crack at the trades.
If memory serves me correctly, he drove the majority of the 1500 miles to California. I wasn't sure if this was because of his surging adrenaline or my deep, profound snoring. Once we entered Oak-town, as it's called, we made a beeline for his new apartment and unloaded with only fumes left in our tanks. Of course we crashed for about a day, then he reported for his fist day as an electrical apprentice.
The plan was for me to hop on a plane back to Texas, but my brother managed to get me a gig with the crew. I soon discovered how the trades are set up, that is, their hierarchy. On the bottom of the totem pole is the apprentice, then the journeyman, then the master. It reminded me of the Jedi knights, for some reason.
It was a great way to spend some time with my brother -- and make some side money. Though I was an eager beaver, I don't think I was very useful around the job site. I tend to think of myself as an intelligence guy, but the routing system of live wires and neutrals and grounds was enough to make me want to head back to Texas immediately.
With the trades you always worry if you've got the stamina for it. I had that. But being an electrician means having your brain wired in a unique way. Electricians are like non-commissioned officers -- they're grunts. They go out in the field and crawl underneath houses and tweak and mend wires like MacGyver. It's hard work that requires a head for currents. Needless to say, those weeks dragged on. I've never been happier to be in Texas.
About the Author The best electrician careers are those based on solid classroom lessons. Sure, its a hard job, but if you don't know a neutral from a live wire, you're in for shock.
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