Tdworld 18330 Screen Shot 2019 04 17 At 10 27 08 Pm
Tdworld 18330 Screen Shot 2019 04 17 At 10 27 08 Pm
Tdworld 18330 Screen Shot 2019 04 17 At 10 27 08 Pm
Tdworld 18330 Screen Shot 2019 04 17 At 10 27 08 Pm
Tdworld 18330 Screen Shot 2019 04 17 At 10 27 08 Pm

Lineworkers: America's Superheroes

April 18, 2019
When linemen work long hours on storms, their families are often waiting and worrying at home. A Duke Energy lineworker's wife wrote a letter to thank her husband for serving as a superhero for her community.

Duke Energy lineworker Wesley Seaburg’s wife, Katy Beth, wrote this letter in honor of National Lineman Appreciation Day on April 18. Seaburg is a distribution line tech based in Spartanburg, South Carolina. 

My husband, the lineworker, is a superhero

Our family’s life revolves around Wesley’s world as a lineman. We have attended birthday parties, family gatherings and holidays without a critical piece of our family’s puzzle. After seven years of service, my heart still drops when I hear the phone ring when we’ve just sat down for dinner because I know he will have to leave and get the lights back on for someone whose power has gone out.

Although I selfishly wish we had more time with my husband, my children and I watch him with awe. To us, he is a superhero. He selflessly serves his community in the worst of conditions, day or night, to ensure our lives can return to normal as soon as possible. Our superhero can save the day. 

He’s not only capable of the physically demanding work -- he radiates passion for his job. Daily dinner conversations are about what was covered in today’s safety meeting or how each person at work had a hand in returning power. He brags on the performance of his teammates without sharing his own achievements.

They look out for each other on the job, too. Each other’s safety is their No. 1 concern. Most people will never know how it feels to wonder if your loved one will come home from work, but I do. Knowing that Duke Energy’s goal is to get my husband home safely every day gives me a little peace of mind.

I know, too, what it’s like to be without power, and although we must sacrifice so much time without Wesley, I am thankful for the role my husband and all linemen play in our communities. April 18 is National Lineman Appreciation Day, but I appreciate their hard work and dedication to the job every day. They make me proud to call myself a lineman’s wife.

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