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Must lift 50 LB
Job Description: File Clerk, Driver, Messenger
Landed our first real job as a driver, messenger, file clerk Gofer position.
Requirements A.A. degree, Good driving record, ability to list 50 lbs. while female.
As it turns out 50 lbs was easy and we got along great in the somewhat rowdy workplace.
Route included 7 districts and a twice a month visit to pick up large duffle-bags filled with thousands of dollars worth of food-stamps and cash.
No one ever gave a thought about security.
Dutch, the Office Expert
Dutch, the office expert, maintenance supervisor.
Perfectionist, opinionated …we got along fine.
Gregarious, intelligent and entertaining. He spoke with an accent and spoke openly about his experiences as a NAZI Youth during the rise of Hitler.
He remembered the day when all the little boys in the club lined up along side the street to stand at attention as Hitler drove by.
He said he felt so proud. Then discovery of what the SOB had done.
Immigrated to America around 12 years old. Married no children.
He doted on his hobby of constructing a massive train set in his basement.
Most annoying phrase…”That won’t work, because…”.
Dutch showed the the ropes of the job, introduced us to contacts at each stop, filled us in on the who’s who
- Friend and Foe
- Fun Ones and Dumb Ones
- Partiers and Prudes
and all the juiciest rumors.
Dutch was a complex, arrogant and complicated man.
He also pointed out the good places to eat, like the 2nd Avenue Deli, to which he described: “They’re Jews, but they make good sandwiches.”
Discrimination of Low Expectations
Mitch had grown up in a tiny remote town in the country and then left the farm to work in the big city.
Dutch was far more sophisticated, well educated and a world traveler who spoke multiple languages.
Daily Life Included Games of Chess
Dutch handicapped his knights before every game to level the playing field, and make the game fair…give the kid a chance…
Guess who usually won the games?
Then…
Dutch Takes a Vacation to the Father Land
Pronounced:
For the first time in many years Dutch decided to take a long well-deserved vacation in the homeland.
Off he went along with the wife to visit old friends, relatives and do some skiing and sight-seeing.
Mitch went through chess withdrawal symptoms. The other two males in the office had no interest in chess what so ever.
“I’ll play,” we volunteered having knowledge of chess through impromptu bouts with various males, brother, father, exes, “Tho not very well.” and we usually lost, still do.
Our first game set up, Mitch removes the knights from his side….to lower the playing field? For us?
“No, no, no, we play right.” we insisted. After that, we spent many fun lunch periods playing chess.
He usually won the games but we held our own.
When we triumphed, he’s say (humorously) “does it make you feel like a man to beat me?”
“Yes ma’am” our response.
Dutch returned, tanned and invigorated from his R&R.
The Games Resume
Game set up. Dutch removed his knights from the board.
“No, no, no, we play right.” Mitch insisted. After that, they spent many fun lunch periods playing chess.
Dutch winning some games and Mitch winning more games as he becomes an expert player of chess.
What is an Expert?
Defined, an expert is someone who possesses comprehensive, authoritative knowledge or skill in a particular area.
Expert is a condition of constant learning not a goal post.
Discrimination of low expectations is a disease of experts who adopt know-it-all arrogance and assume dominance in knowledge, wisdom, skill…all the ego-feeding stuff that comes with.
Experts forget that to become a comprehensive, authoritative expert is to conversely neglect and ignore billions of combinations of potential comprehensive, authoritative expert combinations.
- Experts may never stop learning if they want to remain experts.
- There exists no ceiling on expertise
- There exists no set path to achieving expert status
Best defense we’ve found to combat discrimination of low expectations is to not accept the status in the first place.
No one expected a mere female to:
- Lift 50 lbs
- Manage a department
- Teach two experts how to play chess
