Working

I'm looking back in retrospect at a very long employment history..
some of my recollections, memories are not so funny...but most were interesting or at the very least a bit of education for someone on how the world worked years ago...and maybe still does

I was one of the youngest persons American Airlines ever hired at Idlewild Airport (now Kennedy) it was a semi-interesting job.  I had graduated on a commercial diploma and excelled at sten & typing...so I was assigned to Seat Selection & also filled in as a secretary when anyone was ill or too busy.  Unfortunately, they put our section downstairs under the main hub, in a locked room that had the overnight safe.  So, you were kind of locked down especially if you were the only one in the room.  Kind of miserable for a l7 year old...so whenever I had the chance to go "up top" I would.  Now Seat Selection, the agent upstairs at the counter would call down to us and we had a layout for each plane departing....they would request a seat and we would give it.  Now, please remember folks..this is before the computer...in fact, I guess I was the computer LOL.

A few funny things happened while I worked there...Frank Sinatra lost a toupee and you would of thought the world ended..ticket agents, gate agents...PR people all running & searching for his topper...LOL...so funny...I have a warped sense of humor.  Then there was the time that Charlton Heston needed to borrow a typewriter and he used MINE...unfortunately I was off that day..he left me a note and the manager took it...wouldn't give it to me.  But he had sat in my chair..typed at my typewriter - it set my l7 year old heart aflutter.   

Then there was an extremely sad occurrence when an American Airlines jet crashed into Jamaica Bay, it had flown into a flock of birds over the marsh sanctuary - they got sucked into the engine and the plane which had just taken off came plunging straight down into the bay.  Even at that young age I think I developed some grey that day...my folks were on standby to fly to California on my pass...they luckily had gotten on the earlier flight.  But I didn't know that.  I didn't know until they called that night that they were not on that flight....it was a horrible day. 

After about a year of this I decided that I would try to transfer out of that particular job.  Well, there was an opening in the baggage area for a secretary - so I applied.  One day as I was waiting for the bus to go home, the supervisor for that Department pulls up in his car and offers me a ride home...I did know him, I was hoping to work with him...so I got in the car.  After a little small talk, he says to me "You really want that job?" I told him "yes, of course I do".   He says to me..."Well, young lady I have a surefire way that you will get the job and he proceeds to tell me just how and in what way I can be "friendly" to him. 

I don't know where I found the strength but I told him he could take his job and shove it.  I told him to stop the car...he pulled over and I quickly exited...it was only a few blocks left to my house so I walked with steam coming out of my head.  To make matters worse I had to go home and tell my parents because my Dad had gotten me the job at American through a close friend.

My Dad's advice was to tell my manager what had happened.  So I did....it went nowhere......I found out later that the manager was a close friend of the jerk (who was also married) they were certainly not going to ruin whatever good thing they had going.  Then I was told that my transfer was turned down, they brought someone in from outside.  I was made to feel uncomfortable on a daily basis as if I was the one who did wrong....so I quit.  That was my welcome to the adult world.

We've come a long way baby since that time the year 1961.