My First Real Job

I've probably had a lot of jobs that could be considered my first real job, but the one I consider my first real job was the one I landed at Computer Resources in Allentown, PA.  I was in college and was looking for a part time job that would let me attend classes in either the mornings or afternoons.

I was hired at Computer Resources as a receptionist working from noon until six p.m.  Great gig for me, all I did was answer the phone and take messages (this was long before voice mail) and I could smoke at my desk and study and type my homework on computers, which were still a novelty then. 

Eventually, Mr. Jordan, the owner of the company, took me a bit under his wing since I was from Michigan and living in Pennsylvania.  I was a long way from home and Mr. J became my everyday sort of father.  He helped me escape the hell of being a resident assistant in a dorm at Lehigh.  He invited me to his family gatherings on holidays when I didn't have a long enough time or enough money to make it home. 

He even tried to find suitable dates for me. 

I loved that guy. 

I have to say, voice mail at workplaces is a good thing, but talking to a real live person is even better.  I talk to customers all the time at my job now and although I am hating my current job, I know people like to talk to a real live person.  I like to think I have sold jobs. 

Anyway.

Mr. J really liked me and eventually promoted me to a customer service rep and I was pretty good at that.   I already knew all the customers and it got to the point where they wouldn't talk to other customer service reps to order things, and well, some of my co-workers hated me but I still to this day remember some of the account numbers and HP ribbon numbers and I may not remember where I parked my car in the Kroger parking lot  these days without hitting the panic button to make the alarm go off, but I remember 51645A as an Hewlett Packard ribbon number that Air Products ordered in the hundreds.

Mr. J decided I should help him bid on the PA state contract for computer supplies and  equipment.  PA had had a 12 year freeze on buying office equipment (They were still on typewriters and carbon paper)   so it was a huge undertaking and Mr. J walked me right through it and we went to meetings together and we got the contract, although it was mostly for supplies like ribbons and paper and back up discs, but a few hardware products.   It was a wonderful opportunity for both the company and me personally, rides on puddle jumpers notwithstanding, since PA is a big state and I tended to puke a lot after the puddle jumper rides to Greenport, PA and the like.

My fondest memories of Mr. J were when we had to go to bid meetings in Harrisburg and he always insisted on driving and he was totally capable of scaring the shit out of me because he was so distracted.  He had a mid 80s Cadillac Birratz, you know, the one with the spoke wheels, the fake convertible top and the mounted spare tire on the trunk.  My mom had one, too.  Mr. J's was black and my mom's was beige.  You think I would be comforted by that but I wasn't. Mr J. would be speeding along Route 78 at about 80 miles an hour while he had his McDonald's coffee gripped in his hand out the rolled down window to cool it off and sort of steering while all the time, he was talking to me and swerving all over the road.

He helped me find my first apartment, in a row home a friend of his owned:  he rented me my first flat in a house  he owned, and he taught me a lot about wearing a nice suit and selling myself as well as a product and most of all, he gave me a hug and a kiss on holiday when I wasn't able to be with my family.  I was employee but I was also a person.  A lost concept these days, it seems.

He had more money than he could probably count but if he couldn't make it home to spend time with Mrs. J. for lunch, he had a baloney sandwich from the WaWa across the street because it was cheap.  He came to a party my roommate and I had for MusikFest in Bethlehem and drank our cheap wine and laughed with me.

He showed me you can be big business and still have a heart.  I loved Mr. J and I wonder if he is still alive and remembers me.

Comments

[Michelle]

What a great tribute, Lis. Damn, that man is a classic! It's a shame that there really aren't people like that out there anymore, unless they are hiding out in the Witness Protection Program. Mr. J---seriously think about adopting me!

[Barbara]

What a lovely post! I think you should track this gentleman down so you can let him read what you just wrote.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Glad I made you smile. I had fun writing those posts!

[Rob]

PA, huh? I grew up in Pittsburgh.

I like Mr. J. He sounds like a good ol' Pennsylvania. We can be a pretty rough crowd, to be sure, but for the most part I think folks in PA have good hearts.

BTW, I'm still wondering what "Gmail" is...