Happy Anniversary to Me!

Today marks my 8th anniversary here at my job. Our office covers three floors and I've worked on all of them. I've supported various people, have been generally appreciated, and have often been treated better than I deserved. *

I started here as a temp-to-perm when I was still temping for an unnamed owner of a major sports franchise. And his sister. I'd been temping for about two years (and a year and half for the sports mogul) because I enjoyed it but I'd reached the point where working without a 401(k) or health benefits was becoming an unwise choice.

So I called my contact at Kelly (I was a Kelly Girl!) and told her that I needed a "real job" and she set up an interview for me here. I met with lots of folks, many of whom I still work with, took a typing test, and told at least one person that as I lived three miles away I would never call in and say that I couldn't make it to work because of the weather. And I'm pretty hard core, so I haven't.

I started in late April and by early May was being asked when I could become a full-time, permanent employee. I thought we would date a while longer before getting married, myself, but the company wanted to put that ring on my finger and so on May 10, 1999, I started here officially.

Last year on my anniversary my "Big B" Boss gave me a project to work on telling me that it was extremely important and that if it were done wrong someone would go to prison and that he would make sure that it was me, not him. Most folks would have just given me a card, you know?

I've worked for this company longer than anywhere else I've ever been and (so far) I like it very much. Sitting where I do, I get what I think of as "Work TV" because I'm in a corner near some important and interesting folks and I enjoy listening to them. I'm also handy on the spot when my "Big B" Boss decides it time to wind up my "Little B" boss and I have told him more than once that if he has time to wind people up that way he isn't going to nearly enough meetings.

So far I've earned by 5-year pen and pencil set and am aiming next for my 10-year clock. I wonder what the 50-year gift is.


* This is probably the dominant theme in my life and one of the reasons why I am an optimistic Christian. If my friends and colleagues are better to me than I deserve, why not assume the same for God? And, in fact, God is better to me than I deserve.