We may have grey hair and walk a little slower than we used to. We have more aches and pains. But we do remember the work ethic that made this country (and Canada too, of course) great!
Yes, there is a lot of technology we did not have when I first worked at a heavy equipment jobber in Toronto (a.k.a. manufacturers agent). But dealing with people is still at the heart of a lot of business.
"Good Morning, Furnace Department, Miss Croome speaking: how may I help you?"
Used to take a lot of ribbing but that was how I was to answer the Department's phone!
I hammered out letters, proposals and invoices on a Remington Noiseless that was probably the noisiest machine ever. I transcribed letters from my shorthand notebook. My shorthand was Pittman (from England) but some of you used Greig here in the United States.
I walked one block to the Nortown trolley (electrically powered) on Avenue Road. It swung the corner at Eglinton and turned left on Eglinton, over to - yes - YONGE STREET - to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Subway System. (The line went from Eglinton to Union only back then and was about eight years old.)
I walked down a flight of stairs and took two escalators to get to the actual subway car that would noisily take me downtown. I got off at Front Street - by Union Station (the Railway Station).
Then, I walked past the attendant at the turnstile with my paper transfer to get me into the area of the buses and streetcars.
I took the bus over to Jarvis Street to the building where I worked.
So, that was a lot of walking and three public transit vehicles just to get to my first job.
Even with some references from my father, I was interviewed by forty (40) different people for this first job that paid $195 Canadian - per month. (By the way, the Canadian dollar at that time - 1960 - was a little higher than the American dollar.) That is a little more than $45.00 per week for a person right out of Weller College with honors and typing of over 60 words per minute and shorthand of over 120 words per minute. So, I was well qualified, but not experienced. I had just turned 20.
Notice that people interviewed me; I did not interview them, as we hear now.
The Office Manager's name was Mr. Lilly and he was an accountant, totally lacking in personality who dealt strictly in facts.
Williams and Wilson, whose head office was in Montreal, had various departments on the second floor with a central switchboard. In Lufkin, we have a mural downtown of a woman using a central switchboard - historical of course! The main floor was a showroom for the heavy equipment. The building was large and there were lots of employees, including sales staff, managers, and executives.
I started at 8:30 in the morning and finished at 5:00 p.m. We had 20 minute coffee breaks morning and afternoon in a nice break room and one hour for lunch.
At lunch hour on Fridays, I would walk across to Bay Street (the equivalent of Wall Street in New York City) to get my hair done. They knew how to do a bouffant hairstyle and get you out of there in 40 minutes smelling of a stinky hold called Princess Patricia Hair Spray. That got you through the wind and back to your office on time.
Fridays I ate my lunch at the salon. I took a lunch from home every day unless it was payday - twice a month, when I would do my banking at The King Edward Hotel Branch and eat in their cafeteria downstairs. That was up on King Street and required brisk walking and quick eating. My boss was less than kind, taking us to a Christmas lunch at Letros Tavern (not so high class) and requesting my presence back at the office for more typing while the sales and accounting staff of the Furnace Department went home.
I guess I forgot to tell you that my high heels were kept in my lower desk drawer and I wore laced up Hush Puppies to make good time comfortably.
When I logged about a year at that first job, I was able to advance to New York Life Insurance where they purchased the newly invented IBM Selectric typewriter for me and I moved into the big time! I had a kind boss and made friends but we still had a strong work ethic.
I describe this from 50 years ago because it is people like me who remember what working conditions used to be who will be hired to clean up the messes in today's workplace.
There will have to be some special allowances. I will be 70 in a few weeks and I cannot do 7 or 8 hours a day, five days a week. Some of us will need ramps and railings and certainly will not be able to transverse public transit systems as I did back then.
Why will we be coming back to work, if we are healthy enough?
Well, times are tough - very tough. The "Golden Years" are not 24 carat and we cannot afford to have some of the nifty inventions like flatscreen TV, bright red appliances and furniture to replace the old.
You might be surprised how well we can navigate a computer - I know my Hubby and I do pretty much everything needed.
When you call my employer and I answer the phone, I will enunciate my name and you will understand me - even with my "accent, eh?" - no will be asking me my name or to repeat what I said.
I will not be using my cell phone for texting (yes, I can do that) during office hours and you would never find me on the internet unless my Boss asked me to google some information or post something on his website.
I don't look bad for an old gal (as Anne Murray, the singer would say) but I will wear appropriate attire that covers what should be covered.
You see, business is business - or as the French say, "Les affaires sont les affaires".
No one should be paying you for personal tasks or amusement. Government, a professional or company pays you for your time dedicated to work to advance their business, efficiency, image and (for business and professions) profit.
It was pretty bad when we learned the staggering bonuses executives were making at major companies. It was real bad when we, the taxpayers, had to bail out banks and major corporations with household names. But, it is over the top when we learn that there are government employees who have been spending long hours on websites not quite as gentle as Facebook.
So, have a smile for that grey-haired person who greets you next time you are in an office. That person knows how to save us from ourselves!
"Good Afternoon, Furnace Department, Miss Croome speaking: How can I help you?"Changing
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