Reflections on a 35 Year Career

A writer writes!

After my initial journey into the world of office work and the federal bureaucracy, I returned to college for what was then another quarter.   I continued being active in student activities such as Student Congress and a student activities organization.  The small group of African American students at the University of Evansville still stayed together and we planned social activities to fill the cultural void that existed at the college.

After the fall semester in 1977 I returned to my college co-op job in Indianapolis, Indiana.  I was back at the apartment that was one block away from my employer.  I still did not have a car and walked to work in all types of weather.  For awhile a co worker in the office would give me a ride to work in bad weather.  He was an older man who worked in what was called the Non Appropriated Fund part of the Recruitment and Placement Office that I worked in.  It was during this college co op stint when I went through the blizzard of 1978 during that winter.  It started to snow and kept on snowing.  I had enough food to survive.  Once the snow ended I did venture out one day and saw that the streets were covered with snow in huge piles.  Of course my employer was closed for several days as the city dug itself out of the after effects of the blizzard.

During that second college stint I started to express myself regarding some of the policies at work.  One policy involved some type of affirmative action rule I commented on.  I do recall writing that some people were not born with a golden spoon in their mouth and needed to have doors opened to them so they could demonstrate their skills.  Several people complimented me on my writing and others of course had differing opinions regarding my comments.  I do recall praying before I wrote that piece for clarity in what I was going to write.

Other than the blizzard, not much sticks out in my mind regarding my second college co op experience.  I think I did apply myself more to the job, and found the work more challenging.  One thing I recall is that I was somewhat shy still and purposely avoided being at work the last day to avoid a cake celebration being planned for me.  Somehow I got back to campus but don't recall if my parents gave me a ride or how I got back to resume my studies for the spring quarter.