Weekly Photo Challenge: A Day in My Life

I am taking the easy way out on this week’s challenge: A Day in My Life. Embedded below is a short video that was made by the Media Department of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. I have been an active member of the IBEW since 1968, and I am one of eight electricians at the Golden Gate Bridge.

I hope that you enjoy my day.

Q: How many electricians does it take to change a light bulb?

A: None. Real electricians aren’t afraid of the dark!

Allan’s Note: I am always on the lookout for new How many….does it take to change a light bulb? jokes. If you have any, please share them in the Comments section below.

Fingerprints — Part 1

This is the first part of a series:

“Fingerprints” is a term that bridge workers use to describe what happens as we instinctively reach out and grab the nearest solid object we can hold onto when we unexpectedly slip, slide, or fall on the bridge.

We say that we grabbed the bridge so hard that “we left our fingerprints out there.”

This memoir will trace the path that led me to becoming an electrician and eventually leaving my “fingerprints” on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California.

“Man, like the bridge, was designed to carry the load of the moment, not the combined weight of a year at once.” —William A. Ward
Photo © Allan G. Smorra, All Rights Reserved

 Prologue

I originally set out to write a novel over the course of 30 days by joining the National Novel Writing Month event (NaNoWriMo). By writing 1,667 unedited words a day I would have 50,000 words at the end of November and have a novel under my belt to edit and do something with.

After two weeks of planning and outlining a story I realized that I was lacking a plot, a necessary ingredient for a novel. I had characters and situations but I lacked a good reason for anyone to read it. As it turned out, I had a revelation three days before the start of the challenge.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Yesterday I was blogging away as usual. Today I have blogged away for a year!

I want to thank everyone who has helped me along the way as I learned to put my thoughts and experiences down in Cyberspace. There are kindred souls with like-interests that we share, and fascinating people with interests that I can appreciate from afar.

The most precious gift that I have received this past year is that my world has expanded and introduced me to a number of people who I never would have been in contact with if it was not for this WordPress opportunity.

The world-wide expansion started when I reached out and made a comment on someone’s blog. This lead me to respond to the reply and a conversation was born. I made a leap of faith and entered a photo in a Weekly Photo Challenge and then it was off to the races, as I fell in with a group of photographers (GOOD photographers) and their photos inspired me to do better.

The Trouble with Harry

On July 25, 1968 I took a dispatch from the Apprenticeship Director of IBEW Local 728 (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) and began my career in the Electrical Trade. I was 19 years old, married with a child on the way, and clueless as to what life had in store for me.

IBEW National Commercial

Here is a look at my union, the IBEW.

IBEW’s Golden Gatekeepers

Last year our International Office sent a media crew to film what electricians do on the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a gorgeous day and a memorable experience for all of us.