Blue Jays back to normal tonight. Lost to Tampa Bay. 'Nuff said.
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The "Bits and Bites" issue touched a few of you and I enjoyed the responses. Not sure if today's topic will do the same, but it's a bit of a nostalgia tour too.
It's about work. And, coincidentally, tomorrow Mardi will be attending the reunion of the people who graduated Nursing with her 60 years ago. Well done babe!
This is a chronical of my work experience. Mostly for the enlightenment of my grandkids, but feel free to tag along and share your own history if you wish.
My first job was a day spent with Wayne when we were pretty young, picking berries on a farm at the corner of Lake Avenue and Barton Street. Only lasted a day and I don't remember being paid. Probably didn't deserve to be paid.
I seem to remember a day cutting asparagus too. But I was apparently not cut out for that kind of farm work (but other kinds are OK, as you will see).
When I was twelve, I started setting pins at the Bar Don Lanes in Stoney Creek, four nights a week. Rode my bike to and from, almost two miles each way, with the return trip happening after 11 p.m.
I turned 15 two months after my dad was killed at Dofasco. The company turned a blind eye to my age and hired me for the summer. I took requisitions around the plant to the various superintendents for their signature. Worked there the summer that I was 16 as well.
I was offered a summer job the next year at Clayton's Men's Wear in Stoney Creek. By that time our mom was facing some real financial difficulties, trying to raise four kids on Mother's Allowance, so she asked me to quit school and help provide for the family.
Gave up setting pins and started full time at the Men's Wear store. But a year later, the owner, who had his pilot's license, got a job flying supplies to the military's Distant Early Warning system that was being set up in the north. He decided that an 18 year old wasn't mature enough to run the store so he hired a new Manager. And then told me that he couldn't afford us both, but he wanted me to stay for three months and train the new guy.
I was offered jobs by the Manager of the Royal Bank branch and by the owner of the hardware store, but approached Dofasco instead and started steady nights as a Time Checker in the Time Office. For the next three months I worked days at the store training the new Manager and nights at Dofasco. Lost about 20 pounds in the process.
After nine months I was moved to days, calculating payroll for one of the departments. After a year on days, I was called in for my first performance review. Told the boss that I wanted a transfer because none of the guys I worked with had much ambition and I didn't want to get stuck on that job.
Sent to Toronto for a grueling day of evaluation. As soon as you finished one task they hit you with extra ones. At the end, the Psychologist (paid by Dofasco) advised me to quit Dofasco and go into accounting.
The financial situation at home made that a non-starter so I stayed at the big D. Soon after I was put on a training program for the Sales Department. That lasted just over two years, as I moved from department to department throughout the company, including the Foundry (Dante's Inferno).
Assigned to Hot Rolled Sales, I later became the first Supervisor in the Sales Department and the first Assistant Manager. When the Manager died I took over his job.
I then moved into Sales Planning and part of the Management Group of the company. When I was age 55, Dofasco was offering retirement packages and I accepted, retiring as Director, Sales Planning and Administration.
Turned out to be a mistake. I wasn't ready for retirement and, if I had stayed, I would have been given a major settlement by the new owners of the company.
Oh well!
Some time previous, Lawrence Marshall, the owner of Larry's Truck, a Western Star dealership, had asked me to come and work for him. So, I decided that the next day I would call him to see if the offer still existed. I knew that he was hell on wheels for the first hour or so of the day, barking orders to his staff, so I decided to wait and call him at 10 a.m. At 9:30 he called me. Talk about an omen!
I worked for Lawrence for three years, first as his special issues guy doing whatever he decided needed attention that day. In the third year, he started Golden Horseshoe Tire and I moved over there to help get things set up and to handle the Accounts Receivable.
He then sold Larry's Truck to the man who had been President of Western Star, and convinced the new owner that I should be his Purchasing Manager. But, the new guy had grandiose ideas that didn't fit the company and that lasted just a year before he lost the business.
So I was retired again.
I eventually found my real calling. That will be the next instalment.
Stay well.
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