Back in 2002, I was a first-year apprentice and green as grass. I had shit tools and knew nothing about the electrical trade. A journeyman named Paul gave me a Klein adjustable wrench to help me out. He told me to take care of your tools and your reputation; they follow you everywhere. To this day I still carry that wrench to remind me of the kindness I found when I really needed it. Occasionally, I pass on tools to apprentices I have trained. I owe a lot to journeymen like Paul, and I have found it best to pay it forward. He was right about so many things, now I’m the grumpy old journeyman. I often wonder what stories they will tell about me.

I will see you on the next one