After we arrived in California and I had done what I could to help settle my folks into their new home, I made an impulsive trip south to visit my sister who lived in a suburb within that maze known as Los Angeles. This turned out to be a pivotal, most fortunate step regarding my future. My sister had a close friend who owned a small chain of clothing stores and was in the process of opening one up in San Francisco. The friend asked me if I'd be interested in managing this new store.
I was, to say the least, flabbergasted at this suggestion having no background or experience whatsoever in retail sales or women's clothing (other than wearing the stuff). Could it be that this close friend of my sister's was merely offering this chance in order to help pave the way for us to settle in California? I think so. I was completely taken off guard by this suggestion but had enough presence of mind to say that while I couldn't possibly do this, perhaps I knew someone who could. She asked who that might be (with a twinkle in her eye that I was oblivious to at the time). I replied that maybe my husband would be interested. I was instructed then and there to call him and ask if he'd consider this job.
The phone call was placed and the question was posed. Without a moment's hesitation my husband said yes, he'd take it. No fool he--this was our ticket to California and he knew it. One doesn't just arrive in California and say, here I am...give me a job. Apparently it didn't unnerve him that he didn't know the difference between a skirt and a dress, or so he said. However, I knew better and he was willing to "wing it". I flew back home and we immediately set the wheels in motion of leaving our current jobs, packing and relocating. This was in October of 1976.
This was an ideal time for us to start anew. We had no children yet so we were footloose and fancy-free. One of the most difficult things was leaving our jobs. I worked for two wonderful men in the advertising department of a huge chemical company. Of all my secretarial jobs, this was the one I enjoyed the most and it was a real wrench to give my notice. My husband had been working for a plastic molding company and unbeknownst to him, the day he went in to inform his supervisor of his plans was the day he was going to be offered a foreman position. Talk about timing
2 comments:
When my husband gave HIS notice (when we moved to Oregon in 1984) they told him they had been about to promote him to district manager in his department. We figured it was bull**** and left anyway! LOL! Lisa :-]
Waiting for the next installment........ : )
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