Every now and then, it’s good to look back at where your
work life started to get perspective on how far you’ve come. 37 years ago, I was flinging newspapers from
a twelve speed and mowing lawns. Since then,
I have bagged groceries, worked at a Blockbuster video and sold dog food. I have framed and painted houses, worked in a
skating rink, and at a dry cleaner while earning my BArch. I have done land planning, design work, code
research, construction documents, and construction administration for
everything from a screen porch addition on a home to million square foot
shopping centers. I have owned a restaurant and even ran my own design practice
for a while. And for the last ten years, I have been privileged to be on teams
that design, engineer, and fabricate Offshore facilities for major Oil & Gas
developments.
That’s a long way from flinging papers! But every step on that path was critical to
getting where I am today. Whether being chased by dogs, spilling paint, or re-submitting
for construction permits a third time, the challenges faced and overcome developed
diverse skillsets and provided a unique experience that defines my character
and work ethic to this day.
I like to imagine the look on younger Bill’s face if someone
had told him then that he’d be a Project Engineer on Multi-billion-dollar
projects. I believe that it would be quite a humorous mix of astonishment and
disbelief.
When is the last time that you stopped to appreciate just
how far you’ve come on your own journey? What would be the look on the face of “younger
you” if someone told them what they’d be doing three decades later?
