Working high steel was a bit nerve-wracking. Walking on two-inch wide bar joists while maintaining your balance was not for the faint of heart. Scanning the help-wanted section of our local paper, I spied an opening for a plumber with six years of experience — experience I did not have. In the early 1970s, landing a job in the mechanical trades was not easy, as all employers wanted only those who had prior experience. The job market back then was tight. I called the owner who outright rejected me. Undaunted, I called him daily until he finally relented and granted me an interview. Walking through his shop building, he peppered me with questions: Know what this is? What’s this used for? Where does this get installed? I admitted I had no clue instead of lying, which must have impressed him because I got the job!

My first day at work was a total surprise. I anticipated there would be additional workers but it turned out I was his lone employee. I waited outside his office thinking we would be off to some mechanical adventure as he imparted some mechanical wisdom for me to absorb. Instead, he handed me a worksheet for a no-heat call and the keys to the truck! Upon arrival at the customer's home, she showed me to the mechanical room and, thankfully, left me alone with their Burnham (now US Boiler) category-one chimney-vented gas-fired boiler. Yikes!