THE QATSPY® YORKER Personalized-Style & Tradition Apparel Quarters
By: Charles W. Boatright
The Rough Rider Post Saddle Up and Ride: The Cowboy True Grit Spirit that Drives Us to be Exceptional and Puts Pride in What We do Everyday
A cowboy hat and blue jeans are a major part of most linemen attire off the job. Linemen very much identify themselves as modern-day cowboys, because of the work that is entailed in the job of rigging, ropes, and being able to handle equipment. We even get a chance to wrangle and round up cattle when we have to access ranches.
One profession that reflects the Cowboy True Grit and Spirit is Line work that powers our economy and that allows people to enjoy a better way of life. I retired from line work in June of 2015 at age 57, after 34-years as a Grid Engineer. There was never a day that I considered what I did as work, because it was a passion of mine, whether it was flying aerial patrol after a storm or building and maintaining transmission lines.
In the photograph below, I am the one in the middle on the double channel steel crossarm. I was making my last climb working with one of my crews, before I retired. This was a 115kV wooden H-Frame Structure that we are working Hot (or energized). What’s special about this photograph, besides being my last month to work, is that this is the line that crosses the Tallahatchie River near the bridge that was made famous by a song by Bobbie Gentry- Ode to Billie Joe.
Challenges that Define Us and Our Character
We all need challenges to develop our God-given talents and to maintain our health, both mental and physical. The work that I did allowed me to climb to heights and exceed all of my expectations, whether I was doing routine work or restoring power after a hurricane or an ice storm. There is nothing more satisfying than closing that last switch in and having dispatch closed that last breaker in and watching lights in homes pierce the night sky that was once dark.
I felt like a cowboy on the open range after a cold or hot day of working and then sitting around with your crew talking and taking pride in another day’s work. You take stock in the fact that you did something that improved the lives of others. Sometimes that meant restoring power to a hospital, church, or school.
I still remember two of my favorite songs that related to the type of work we were doing. One song was by Glen Campbell, Wichita Lineman, and the other by Toby Keith- I Should’ve Been a Cowboy.
Each and every day that I left for work, I always carried my flight bag that contained my aviation charts, my aviator’s sunglasses, with my A-2 Leather Flight Jacket, and cap. I couldn’t use my cowboy hat, because I had to wear my headset to fly aerial patrol, so I had to wear my MSU baseball cap.
A little background information about the feature photograph of me with my INDIAN Scout Bobber Twin-V 60 Motorcycle. When someone was used to flying and perform line work, like I did for 34-years before retiring, you might be out of this type of work, but the work isn’t out of you. You are geared for that type of work that doesn’t just disappear. But the mentality that it took to work in this type of occupation never leave you. My INDIAN Motorcycle fills this void and relieves those type of feelings, even at age 64, soon to be 65, I still have to deal with these feelings.
Some IMPORTANT Advice to People Working NOW!
Essentially what you’re doing planning for retirement, or what you need to do in order to transition from doing what you have to do on someone else’s schedule; to doing what you want to do on your schedule is this. FIRST OBJECTIVE is find a hobby you love. SECOND OBJECTIVE is to remain mentally and physically healthy after you retire. So what you need to do is to take your passion (a hobby) that you love and make it your new profession on your schedule.
For me it is managing my performance sports training and sportswear business. Where I produce my own fitness and golf training videos and model our line of sportswear with young ladies that work with me. If you want to challenge yourself try modeling with young ladies in their early 20’s.
My other retirement occupation is writing sports articles, working in my welding shop, and on my farm. I stay in shape following The DELPHI AD DIET & FITNESS System. The quality Fitness program needs to consist of CASEY, or Cardio, Aerobics, Strength Exercise, and Yoga Program. I work out following the CASEY Program five days per week for 45- minutes each day. The photograph below was taken on January 18, 2021, after we did a photo shoot for our American Classic Leather Jacket line. The camera crew challenged me to an AB Challenge at age 64:
THE QATSPY® AMERICAN CLASSIC LEATHER JACKET COLLECTION
The U.S. A-2 Leather Jacket has been a major part of our history (both military and civilian) since 1931 when the U.S. Army Air Corps developed and issued the leather flight jacket to pilots during World War II. A version of this iconic and classic A-2 Leather Flight Jacket became the persona of two legendary entertainers/actors- Fonzie in Happy Days and Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Another part of my business is catering Mississippi Fried Catfish, we have cater for groups as large as 450 people at an airshow where I work.
