Now that we were home from our honeymoon and had settled into our new home, it was time to get back to the real world. That included going back to work.
Bill had a steady job at Lockheed Aircraft and as soon as we returned from our honeymoon, he returned to work. I, on the other hand, had quit my job a week before our wedding. Now I will tell you a little about my job.
After graduation, I had been going to a private vocational school, studying to be a secretary. An opportunity arose to be a “Legal Secretary Trainee” in the office of a retired judge in a very old office building on the famous corner of Hollywood & Vine. What a great chance to begin a career in the legal field! The office building was so old it didn’t have air conditioning; rather, it had transoms over each door and vents in each ceiling and floor to help circulate air. I could actually hear what was going on in the offices above and below me.
The elevator was operated by a kind, elderly man who had to manually open and close a gate to let us on and off. One morning, as I entered the elevator a very tall, sandy-haired man got on with me. He looked familiar but it didn’t hit me until I got off – that was Charlton Heston, my favorite actor! Oh why didn’t I stay on the elevator all the way to the top!! At any rate, my heart beat a little faster that day.
This “law office” consisted of only myself and my boss, E. Marshall Bitgood, Atty. at Law. Let’s just say he wasn’t a very nice person. He would dictate legal documents to me by standing over my shoulder, telling me what to type. These documents were typed on legal sized paper, with 7 carbon copies – no computer in those days. Whenever I made a mistake, Mr. Bitgood would have to stop speaking until I erased each of 7 copies with a typewriter eraser, blowing eraser dust off each copy. Then he could continue dictating. I was a very good typist, if I do say so myself, and learned to not be intimidated by anyone watching me type, but Mr. Bitgood had a TEMPER and would scream at me whenever I made a mistake. One day it was so bad, the secretary in the office on the floor above me, came down to see if I was okay. Sometimes I would go home at night in tears. But I stayed with it and over time we eventually learned to work somewhat compatibly together.
But I decided to quit my job before our wedding so I could prepare for our big day, enjoy our honeymoon and get settled. Then I would look for another job. So I turned in my notice. However before I left, Mr. Bitgood asked me to call him when I got back. And so I did. Turns out, during the 4 weeks I had been away, he had gone through (drum roll…) 3 secretaries! He begged me to come back, promising me a raise. And so I returned. I figured I now had the upper hand and could call the shots. I had also learned to stand up for myself. He was much better behaved after that.
A few weeks after I returned, he had a massive heart attack and spent weeks recovering. So, I had the office to myself, with nothing much to do except take care of a few accounts. What did I do in the office all by myself, every day? I read novels and answered the phone. It was great. However, after my experience with Mr. Bitgood I decided that I would NEVER work in the legal field again – ever!
By nature I am not assertive. I would much rather acquiesce than stand up for myself in any given situation. I like to be liked and being nice makes me more likeable (or so it seems to me). However, sometimes God has a way of pushing us out of our comfort zone – out of our natural tendencies, into the new, uncomfortable territory of relying on him. I can’t say I prayed very much about my work situation. Maybe it was just a naturally-occurring maturity process or maybe I had just had enough – or just maybe, God was behind it all, strengthening me to stand up for myself. But surely it was God who intervened. And who knows, maybe Mr. Bitgood learned something in the process. At any rate, I learned that having the upper hand is kind of fun.
My experience with Mr. Bitgood has served me well throughout my life on multiple levels. Up until that point, I had lived a rather sheltered, gentle life. Most of the people in my life were kind, loving and even-tempered. No one in my home ever raised their voice in anger. Mr. Bitgood, however, was my first encounter with the “real world” and he was my rude awakening to the fact that there actually are difficult people in the world. I couldn’t ignore him or run away from him – I had to work with him every day. And so I did. I stuck with it.
I realized that I couldn’t change him but I could change me. I could dig a little deeper into my heart to accept him for who he was and even appreciate him (well, sometimes). I learned that no matter how difficult a situation might be, if I stick with it, I will learn some valuable lessons that I won’t be able to learn any other way.
And so, Mr. Bitgood, I thank you. You taught me well.
Love your stories! My first real job was at the legislature as a research analyst and like you my life had been full of nice people, no yelling. I had a man scream at me & throw some files, I almost laughed as I thought he couldn’t possibly be serious!
I guess it takes all kinds, doesn’t it? Love you, Trina!
What a nice story Donna. Thank you for sharing. Yes, God has a plan for us and no matter what our choices are, He can bring it all together for the good of those who believe. Well done. Great memory.
That is so very true and has been my experience many times throughout my life. It’s a good thing that we aren’t in control. Thanks for your comments, Jane.