Not this past Saturday, but I believe the Saturday before, I was stopped by one of my favorite childhood baby-sitter's fathers. She grew up on the street over from mine and was known for being an upstanding person. Her mother was the chief administrator for the little suburb of Dubuque that I grew up in who later solicited my attention, if I remember correctly, to design and direct the youth volleyball program for the city park, I believe toward the end of my high school career and into my time at DePaul. At the time, she (the mother) seemed like the President of our little town. During the end of my time program-directing and coaching, I agreed to help out in the office--my first experience as a "real" city employee.
When I found out about the gig at McGraw-Hill (See the account below), and before I knew I'd take my resume straight to the training staff, I thought in the back of my mind, "If I start getting the run-around here, I'll call (so-n-so--my old baby-sitter) and ask her to raise me up to where I'm supposed 2 be." She'd worked for the company for a long time after teaching in the Chicagoland area and, I'd always heard, had had a highly successful and happy career.
Her father has seen me around the YM/YWCA and took some interest in my class a Saturday or two before he stopped me more recently, as mentioned. He said something like, "Did your hear what happened to (my old baby-sitter)?" "No," I said. He detailed how (sounded like recently) she was called up one day and was terminated over the phone, after 9? years at the company. Over the phone. See ya!
I told him I was bullied out of a ground-level job I was overqualified for, here in Dubuque--par for the course, in my experience, I said. That seemed to throw him for a loop and add a new dimension to what he was telling me.
I think she went to the University of Chicago, not DePaul, which is the only reason I can think of why she might've gotten a cleaner and more high-quality boot than I did. (Sigh) Back in the day, I had reservations about being an Asian dork by shooting for Ivy League.
Oh well. Here I am, for the time being, raising up conscious and awakening human beings like they're my own kids. It's a totally extraterrestrial experience that keeps me centered in a Love state. Hot.
Wheee!