In 1971 I went to work for a small shipyard in Jacksonville, Florida. I’d flunked out of college and bounced around before I ended up in the marshes on the north bank of the St. Johns River. I was a shipfitter helper when I saw my first 72ft Gilbert Hull steel shrimp boat slide into the water. Its a trite phrase to say that it was a watershed moment but I was hooked. I worked my ass off to be the best there was at this thing and I ended up being pretty good at it. It was the kind of work that you either punched the clock to get a check or you did the best job you could so people would call you “craftsman”. That word means a LOT, more than I can tell you.
BTW, BZ, Byron!
Second!
The drive home was terrible. Third.
First!
First!