By: Kenny Jordan/AESC Executive Director
May/June 2010

Over the years, the men and women who have worked in the oil and gas industry have always been known as an honest, hard working breed. We are proud of our work ethic, proud of what we’ve accomplished and proud of what we’ve been able to provide our nation in terms of energy resources. We have nothing to be ashamed of! However, we have much more work to do — educating the masses, one by one.

Kenny Jordan, AESC Executive Director

The following examples quickly remind us that John Q. Public does not understand what we do, nor do they seem to even care.

While sitting waiting to go into a restaurant in California, an older lady and I became engaged in conversation. After some small talk, we eventually got around to asking what the other did for a living. She informed me that she was retired, living in the San Jose area and just enjoying life. When I told her that I was in the oil and gas business, she turned to me and slapped my shoulder telling me that I was in a dishonorable profession. I was shocked for a moment, that she would take this viewpoint, and immediately told her in no uncertain terms that I was proud of my occupation and proud of what our industry provides to this nation. I asked her how she managed to get from her home to the restaurant that day. She informed me that she had driven. I asked her what powered her car to get her to the restaurant, to which she responded, gasoline. I then asked her if she hadn’t had that gasoline, would she have been able to drive or fly or take a train to travel. It was if the light bulb went on. We then engaged in a conversation about what oil and gas has provided to society over the years. At the end of the conversation she seemed at least to have some concept of what our industry has bestowed upon her in the way of transportation, household products and so forth. A prime example of teaching one student at a time!

In another instance, one of our Association’s former presidents was sitting in an airport ready to fly to Houston for an Association meeting when an elderly lady in a wheelchair sitting next to him started a conversation. During that conversation she learned that he was in the oil and gas business. The past president related that when she leaned over to him and said, “You should be ashamed,” he was taken aback. He then began to tell her that he was not ashamed, but proud of what he did and proud of what the industry supplies.

As we recently toured through the Senate and House of Representative buildings in Washington, D.C. on our annual fly-in, the one thing that we asked several of the elected officials was, “What can we do to help our cause with this present administration?” Each of them stated that the one thing we could do is to educate our neighbors on what we do and the independence we afford this nation from our services. The other thing that each said was to educate our workers on the importance of our industry and to get them involved politically, or at the very least get them registered to vote.

From some of the conversations mentioned above, we have a long way to go in our education process. But don’t be dissuaded, if we have to educate one person at a time, we will, because we don’t take no or ignorance as an answer or excuse.