When I was young, no idea what age, my family and I were staying at the GF, they had a cast member - an older gentleman - working the elevator and he and I had some discussions about the construction of WDW. I was always fascinated with construction, he informed my parents about a way for me to meet some "imagineers" while at WDW and they set that up. Some years later I graduated school and became a construction project manager and did that for the last 12 years.
Now I did see a downturn in the economy and the construction industry coming, so I got out and went to the oil industry, no doubt as a result of Exxon's sponsorship of WoE which I saw while my parents had me out of school.
To top it all off one of my favorite passtimes and hobbies is being a pyrotechnician, which of course started at Illuminations while I was a child. I became fascinated with fireworks and seeing that show and have been hooked ever since. Due to that I am now able to shoot professional shows in several states.
And of course the entire time this story has been unfolding I have my trusty mug bought many moons ago by my side the entire way!