Summary

Those who knew Clark Huff as a child believed he would either be in jail or dead before he graduated high school. They had good reason to think that. He paid little attention to authority and never considered the risk of his actions. Surprisingly, Clark not only lives to graduate high school, but goes on to earn a degree in metallurgical engineering. During his professional career, he becomes a world traveler and immerses himself in other cultures with much hilarity and humility.

These stories are not only entertaining, but will provide you examples of how not to handle a situation. An illustration of what we are all capable of no matter our mistakes along the way. It is always better to learn from someone else’s stupidity.

Excerpt

The Color TV Incident

Mom had wanted to replace our old black and white TV for years. It was purchased in 1955 and had a small, roundish screen that produced a fuzzy image. In 1962, her brother bought a brand-new RCA color TV and the extended family visited his house to see it. We were startled to view Lucille Ball's fiery red hair. Color TVs had become status symbols, so Mom redoubled her efforts to get one.

Finally, after two years, Mom wore Dad down and he purchased a new, Zenith 22-inch color television housed in a big wooden cabinet that stood on four legs. Mom proudly showed it off to her friends and neighbors, many of whom didn't yet have a color set.

Since I had been reading about color TV technology in the magazine in Popular Science, I was anxious to explore its inner workings. About a month after Dad brought the color TV home, I had my chance. My parents decided to take a trip to West Jordan to visit Grandma and Uncle Dick. They would be gone for the day so I'd have plenty of time to explore the TV’s inner workings. As soon as they were out of sight, I unplugged the TV, moved it away from the wall and removed the back cover. Peering inside, I could see a maze of tubes, wires, and a couple of transformers, including a high voltage one. Based on my earlier experience, I knew to be careful with it.

First, I removed and inspected the smaller tubes, trying to determine which were rectifiers and which amplified signals. Next, I removed the wire harnesses going to the tubes and carefully unfastened the transformers. Although the picture tube was 22 inches across at the front, it necked down toward the back of the TV. Here I found the magnetic yokes I’d expected. The yokes controlled the electron beams that made the picture on the screen. I noted the yokes’ orientation and carefully removed them from the back of the picture tube and then lifted the picture tube out of the cabinet. The cabinet was now essentially empty with a pile of electronic parts scattered around the carpet in the front room.

I was diligently inspecting the parts when I heard the front door open. When I looked up, I was alarmed to see Mom standing in the door. Their trip had been aborted due to thick fog that had rolled in from Utah Lake and covered the highway making driving slow and dangerous. Initially, Mom stopped moving and just stood there looking like a deer in headlights. I did the same. Mom apparently couldn't believe what she was seeing. Then, she grabbed the hair on each side of her head and screamed. Dad peered around her to see what was going on. His eyes got big.

“Oh, shit,” he said.

He carefully grabbed Mom by the elbow and led her out to the car. After she was seated and the car door closed, he came back in the house.

“I'm taking your mother out for a long lunch,” Dad said. “When we return, that television had better be back together and working like new or there is going to be hell to pay.”

After they left, I diligently reassembled the TV taking special care to align the picture tube using the magnetic yokes. The information provided by Popular Science had proven invaluable. When my parents returned, the TV was back in working order. Mom flipped through the channels and scrutinized the picture closely but could find nothing amiss. However, I was still under strict instructions to never ever mess with the TV again.

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About the Author

Clark Huff believes he was extremely fortunate to grow up in the 1950s in Spanish Fork, Utah; a small town that would tolerate an adventurous but disobedient boy and help him to learn from his mistakes. He attended the University of Utah and began his career as an associate engineer at a mineral production facility located in Moab, Utah. Although he continued to pull pranks and make mistakes, he learned from them and eventually gained a reputation for solving difficult problems. Besides Moab, he has lived in North Carolina, Nebraska, and Illinois, as he advanced in the company to finally become the Vice President of Capital and Technology. After retiring in 2012, he spends much of his free time enjoying the outdoors, often with his children and grandchildren. Clark currently lives in a quiet town right outside Raleigh, North Carolina but also spends time at his house in St George, Utah.