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Honey is Sweet Laughing Out Loud - 2008-11-05 I'm grateful for: a good nap; grocery shopping done with money left; an early (?) night. OMG! I am just laughing myself silly. Rahm Em*nuel - I used to work for him! A long, long time ago, back in the U.S.A., back in the bad old days. No, seriously. In Chicago. After it died. For those who do not know and might care, Rahm was the blueprint for the character of Josh Lymon (sp?) on the television series the West Wing. And now he's going to be Chief of Staff? Life imitates art. I must laugh, it is too funny. Little known facts about me (and possibly about Rahm), I used to work for a collection of liberal do-gooder organizations that shared offices - IPAC (Illinois Public Action Council), Metro-Seniors in Action, and, gosh, I can't remember the names of any of the others. Except for Canpac. Canpac was Rahm's baby. I think he nominally worked for Milt Friedman, I don't know if anyone remembers who Milt was. A pretty cool guy in all ways, more than a bit unconventional, and very sweet. This is Milt I am talking about, NOT Rahm. Anyway, I used to answer the phone, three or four lines ringing at once: "Public Action, please hold! Public Action, please hold! Public Action, please hold!" And after putting them all on hold go back to the first one to actually handle the call. I got very good at juggling all the calls, and keeping track of who was on which line and who they were waiting for, all that sort of thing. I never got the hang of juggling seven (or more) different bosses, who didn't always talk to each other and some of whom didn't hesitate to yell at me. I also maintained the mailing list, did the bank deposits and oh, so much more. I was the lone soldier answering to a whole lot of generals. I was socially inept and didn't know the first thing about office etiquette, which put me exactly where I belonged, I have to say. Neither did they. I made assumptions and embarrassing mistakes. They treated me with kid gloves and blank incomprehension. Except when yelling at me for what might have been my fault, but was more often theirs - which is to say for instance for not telling the right lie to a caller when I had no idea I was supposed to be lying to them in the first place. Milt was really sweet as I said, and the ladies at Metro-Seniors were also really wonderful. They would get callers who would respond to my first greeting ("Public Action") who is this? Who am I calling? What is this place? - they were prepared to have someone answer 'Metro-Seniors in Action' and anything else completely derailed them. TH worked for them as a canvasser, and we had many a joke about his shpiel. "If you give me $35, I'll give half of it to a good cause." They were paid on commission so that was effectively what was going on. My favourite boss there was Richard, who left not long after I started working there. He was the most long-suffering person. He was the Administrative Director, which meant he was the one responsible for juggling all the money that they didn't have. Long story, I'm not up to it now, but they owed thousands to the I.R.S., more than the entire office was worth I'm sure. I was pregnant with D1 when I worked there. I didn't really have any appropriate maternity clothing, and I used to leak huge amounts of milk, sometimes soaking through the front of my dresses. It was pretty awful. Fortunately I didn't have to deal too much with people f2f, it was an awful lot of phone work. And typing. I continued to produce huge amounts of milk for my entire child-bearing career. I could soak through just about anything. But that is another story. I have quite a few memories of Rahm, but I don't really have any fond ones. I doubt he remembers me at all. Which is fine. I saw a photo of him in the last couple of years, and it amazes me how much he looks like the Rahm I remember. I was really happy to have a job working for the 'good guys.' Consumer advocates and political activists and all. Unfortunately they didn't seem to think that ordinary rules applied to them (like having to pay their taxes), and it made them not very likable people, regardless of high ideals and good works. I wasn't unhappy to leave them, although I never again had a job that gave me that kind of inner satisfaction. I can't remember but I may well have left with them owing me money. Our paychecks bounced more than once. It's a funny little old world. I'm listening to David Whitfield: If I Lost You 0 bleats so far:: Yesterdays : Tomorrows ::
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