| By Enid JoaquinFern flirts everyday; not your ordinary run of the mill type of flirting most women engage in, but the dangerous kind, the kind that could take your life if you don’t exercise caution-but Fern is okay with that, because it’s exciting- for her it provides the ultimate adrenaline rush.Climbing a poleSeriously though, Fern Yangapatty, who is perhaps the only lineswoman in Linden, courts danger every day, as she goes about her job with the LUSCSL Lines crew.By now Fern has grown accustomed to the stares and expressions of disbelief on the faces of people when they see her in her working gear- including her climbing spurs.They are fearful for her, but the thought hardly crosses her mind.“This is something I always wanted to do..As a little girl I would watch the electricians going about climbing the poles, and I thought, when I grow up, that is what I want to do”, Fern enthused during a recent interview.She admits that with her tomboy attitude, it was the most natural thing in the world. “I loved the aspect of danger, it gives me a thrill”.For her it was just an extension of all the climbing she did while growing up. “I was always climbing trees and jumping- skipping from limb to limb, with my two brothers and the other boys in the street. We would hang on the limbs and sling over to the next one like Tarzan. For me, that was so much fun. I got really excited doing that.After leaving high school, Fern enrolled at the Linden Technical Institute to pursue studies in Electrical Engineering.However with the dearth of jobs, it took her a while before she could get into the field she loved.In the interim, she pursued a course in Social work,China Jerseys Wholesale, and subsequently took up a position in that field.But Fern admits she was miserable- that was not her forte; such a job was “too soft”- not her style.Five years ago,NFL Jerseys China, her dream became a reality after she landed a job as a Lineswoman with LUSCSL.It was like reliving her childhood- only this time the dangers were real.Fern Yangapatty (second from right) prepares to go into the fields with her ‘crew’.“But I don’t mind, it’s the danger that makes this job exciting,Wholesale Jerseys, and the fact that you literally hold the power of light or dark in the lives of people in your hands.I’m always happy to see people’s faces when you make that first connection for them and they get lights. It gives me a sense of satisfaction.Little scareFern in highlighting the need to always take safety precautions,Wholesale Jerseys, reflected on an incident while climbing a pole in Silvertown, when her spur missed its mark.“I slid down a bit but I didn’t fall because I was well strapped with my safety belt, If I had been careless and not strapped myself securely, I could have fallen. It was a scary experience, that I don’t want to repeat.”Ultimate goalFor now, Fern Yangapatty’s ultimate goal is to climb up to the primary lines. That’s the main source of power,Cheap Jerseys For Sale, or the main power lines.“I haven’t gone there yet. I always just climb to the secondary lines- but I will. It’s my main challenge right now- and any kind of challenge pumps my adrenaline-I get a high from that. I love heights, it builds a little fear, but then you overcome that,Cheap Jerseys NFL China, and you just get this feeling that you can overcome anything, which is the most powerful feeling in the world”………powerful words from a woman that holds the power of light or darkness in people’s homes. |
