The Humorous Side of the Job or What People Have Been Saying Behind My Back

by energy educator james brown

Many times when something is not working just right in the district, a story usually gets back to me about how I am to blame in the name of energy conservation. I take assurance in knowing that most of these comments are said in jest, aren’t they? Here are just a few examples:

I’ve been nicknamed “The Prince of Darkness” by one of our custodians.

After leaving the lights on in my vehicle, a friendly employee who offered me a jump start reminded me that leaving the lights on was not conserving energy, and thus not setting a good example.

One time I kindly pointed out to a district mechanic that a vehicle had a headlight out. He responded that it was part of the new district policy to conserve energy.

Reporting to work one day I was surprised to find there was a power outage. As I walked into the building many people commented on how happy I looked.

Calling the District Office one day I was told by the greeter that they were saving all kinds of energy that day. When I inquired as to how, she replied that the power was out.

Once before the start of a football game at Colonie Central High School, the stadium lights would not turn on. Someone was overheard saying, “Jim Brown sabotaged the wiring.”

Noticing a large bruise on my youngest son’s face, a colleague asked if I had disconnected his night light, causing him to walk into a wall. When we first began our energy management program, there were more than a few naysayers. Thank you for proving them wrong, and for making our program such a success. The past six years have gone by quickly. To quote an old saying, “Time flies when you are having fun!”