Oct 15, 2008

Where Am I

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Last week I focused on how God designed us and what He designed us to do. Earlier this week Lidna Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee (there's always a fresh cup brewing over there) asked a question that focused on what we are not designed to do. "What's the most ill-suited job you've ever had?" Now she challenges us to write about that and I have decided to take up the challenge.

This is going to get embarrasing, in part because of the job, but more than that because this story will so completely reveal one of my ... eh hem ... greatest weaknesses. I have a lot of difficulty processing my thoughts when dealing with unexpected situations. My brain works well in emergency situations and when the Holy Spirit is completely taking over but in those regular, unexpected situations I seem to think in slow motion.

Quite a number of years ago I had been layed off from my job and was looking for employment. I was a single mom and had no other financial assistance. That was back in the day before the courts got serious about mandatory child support. In any case, I decided to go though a temporary agency to find something that might become permanent. My experience was in accounts receivable in medical offices, so this agency told me they had a position in A/R at a bookstore. I have to add here that handling A/R for a supplier is very different than in a medical office. I didn't worry about it because I was confident that when they trained me I would quickly learn whatever I didn't know.

I showed up at the bookstore, went inside, and the person at the counter was the only one there at the moment so he led me upstairs to the break room to wait for the manager. I noticed that the building was a bit old and shabby looking but oh well, I needed the income. As we walked through the hall and in the break room, the pictures on the wall struck me as a bit odd for a business. (That slow motion thought process is kicking in about now.)


So I sat there waiting for the manager to come in, staring at these pictures trying to figure out why in the world they would hang stuff like this on the wall. Well I soon discovered that this was not just any bookstore. It was a ga*y por*no bookstore that sold books and videos. (Thinking process is getting slower. I'm visualizing lots of ?question marks? but can't quite formulate the questions.) Let me sidestep here and give you a tiny bit of information. I grew up in California, I had friends who were ho*mo****** , but this was really a stretch for me to deal with. This was also just before I became a Christian. So I was really grappling to get my thoughts in the proper perspective. I really needed the money but was extremely uncomfortable.

All of the employees came in at different times and I discovered that all but one (he said) of the male employees was ga*y. There was one woman that worked there and she was le*s*bi*an. And the real kicker was the last one that I met. *He* was a tr*ans*ve*st*ite. He really decked himself out too in low cut frilly femine clothing. Now I have to tell you that I have always been a people watcher. Especially in California because of the unique variety of people. I have always been genuinly interested in uniqueness. Well to this day I would have to say that *he* was the most unique person I had ever run across. 'Nuf said. I will add that everyone there was very nice but the environment was still intensly uncomfortable.

Thankfully, God watches out for us even before we give our lives to Him and He jumped in to save me. (Thank you Lord!) No one knew anything about the accounting system or the job I was to do, so there was absolutely NO training. I did stay there for one week. During that time the computer broke down every day, at least once, and for long periods of time, so I did absolutely NOTHING the entire week except watch people try to fix the computer. At the end of the week my thoughts finally came together and I told them I would not be back. I left in tears that I had actually stayed the week. I did not return to the temp agency either as I was amazed that they never bothered to tell me the type of place they were sending me.

To this day, I don't have a clue what the name of that bookstore was! LOL




Edie

13 comments:

My ADHD Me said...

HA HA! That is just too funny. Sorry to laugh but I can only imagine the look on your face when the realization of what was going on started to kick in.
Quite an interolipanian situation, I am sure!

Kelly said...

Gracious sakes! I don't know how to respond to your post. What a week!

At least it makes an interesting story!

Sonya Lee Thompson said...

That's pretty pitiful for the temp agency to have not told you about the bookstore. Well, we all learn from the past! :)

Sonya

Anonymous said...

This is my first time stopping by your blog! I will definitely be back regularly!

Heather

2nd Cup of Coffee said...

I'm with Sonya; I feel offended that the temp place didn't look out for you. And I'm cracking up that this is Heather's first time by, and you have quite the subject in your post! thanks for sharing this detail. I'm still completely blown away by it. I'd better stop talking now ....

Edie said...

ADHD-Jo - It's ok to laugh at this. I do. Just keep thinking "dear in the headlights". That's about what I felt like that week. And you've been hanging out with Sue J haven't you? :)

Sonya - I agree. I was so surprised that they didn't tell me. Likely the only way they could get people to show up was not tell them. I wouldn't have gone if I had known.

Heather - Oh girl you are a REAL sweetheart to say you'll come back regularly when this is the first post you have read on my blog! Thank you! And please don't hold this against me! :)

Linda - Funny, Heather said she would be back regularly too!

Leaon Mary said...

Hi Edie,
You're right the Lord does watch out for us... and even in some of the strangest* places and situations.
When I was 17 years old, I worked at a Pizza place in Rapid City South Dakota. I SERVED BEER! ALL EVENIN LONG, EVERY NIGHT... Nobody even cared!
There's more to this story that I'll email you...
Later gater,
Love ya,
L

Stephanie said...

Ahh! That's crazy, Edie! I can be slow to catch on to things sometimes too. ;)

Stephanie said...

Ahh! That's crazy, Edie! I can be slow to catch on to things sometimes too. ;)

The Patterson 5 said...

Yikes!!!!!!!!!! What an incredible story! Wow! God was watching out for you and high tailed you out of there! Bless your heart!

Angela said...

HAhAhAhahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Joyfulsister said...

Hmmm Normally when I find myself in awkward situations I walk away and say.. Okay Lord what was it that I was supposed to get from this lol. I also cannot understand how they could send you to a place like that without you having a clue to what you were walking into.

Hugz Lorie

My ADHD Me said...

Don't you use the word interolipanian in your every day conversations?

HHmmm. Interesting.

It means extraordinary, unique, odd.

Of course it can mean anything you want it to. It's a relatively new word. It's been around about (hhmm, when did I post that last comment?)