|
COPYRIGHT 2008 Texas Monthly, Inc.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
When I was growing up in Midland, I didn't want anything to do with the oil field. In junior high, you learn what your friends' parents do. It was interesting to hear them talk about the off field, but it didn't appeal to me at all. Those guys worked long hours and hard days. My dad ran the Allstate Insurance office, and I wanted to go to college and have an office job. What I didn't know then was that you can't beat the pay.
I played basketball at Midland High and for Wayland Baptist University. The second week of practice, I blew out a knee. I never finished college. After I got married, in 1991--I was 21, my wife was 20--I was struggling. We were living in Midland, and we wanted more out of life. I knew I could make good money in the oil field. I got hired by FWA Drilling as a swamper. My job was to tie the truck onto a piece of the drilling rig so it could be hauled to a new location....
Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.
|
Bookmark this article
Print this article
Link to this article
Email this article
Digg It!
Add to del.icio.us
RSS
