- Location
- Hulmeville
I first came to this forum in the early 2000s. I was drawn in by the professionalism of Mark and by the excitement of others here for the job. Making videos of the day to day was starting to be a thing, and bragging rights about the biggest tree removal or coolest new gear was hot! Now, I am 20 + years into climbing.... I have climbed for people like Jimmy Buffet, Arnold Schwarenegger ( had to look that spelling up), and CEOs of big companies in the Hamptons. I have been part of Special Rescue Teams that have been sent to many natural disasters in the United States, as well as helped build oil rigs and did hitches on them in the Gulf of Mexico. My climbing career has allowed me to photograph the best in the world killing it as they seemingly ran through canopies and soaked in the love of fellow climbers at their performances. My career has brought me many highs as well as many lows. Battle scars that will never fade and aches and pains that will keep me from full nights sleep for the rest of my life. I regret nothing of any of it, and welcome the future of it all. This past week I went and took the ISA Arborist test ( passing it)......Full discloser, I signed up to take it the night before and said " now or never" to myself. I have my personal feelings towards this certification but thats not for today. No matter my feelings I have towards it one thing stands true in my opinion and that is an education can not be taken lightly. Sitting in a class room or grinding out years of experience is both equally merited in my view and both should be celebrated. Now I sit here typing this looking back at what is a well spent, hard earned, not sexy, bloody at times..... amazing career to date for myself. I am a man with admittedly little formal education coming into adulthood, a very poor financial up bringing in a single parent home, that was able to figure it out and make it work to be a success for his family. I remind myself that at one time I told a foreman of mine that gave me the chance at a career out of the Army that " this was a lesser job, and only drunks stayed here"..... I remind myself of this because it keeps me focused on how wrong I can be. No matter how long my career or how old I get in it I will always be wrong about one thing or another, but I do see how I can help the new generation be a bit more right as well when they are willing to listen. I thank all of you for the past comments or suggestions you have made ( educated or ignorant), they all have a lesson to be learned. I look forward to keeping my head down and driving forward ( as my father would say). Cheers to a new year in 2020, and cheers to aiding along our industry in the positive path forward.
