Memories.....

  34 years is a long long time, and it goes by in a blink of an eye. If someone would've asked me on July 13, 1979 how long I was going to stay with the "phone company" I don't think I could come even close to 34 years. I have to thank my sister Sue Rehder Smith for convincing me to apply in the first place. She was a TSPS operator with AT&T at the time and had just transferred down to Texas from Iowa. At the time when I hired on the company was Southwestern Bell Telephone Company a subsidiary of AT&T. That was back when it was a monopoly, before the government said "Hey, you can't do that!".

  I started as Directory Assistance operator at 4100 Bryan just east of downtown Dallas. Was it the worst position in the company or of my career? Maybe I'll answer that somewhere later on in the post. I enjoyed the job, for the most part, but then I've always tried to find a way of enjoying work. It just makes life easier when you do. The first year and a half I worked the 10PM to 6AM shift. You would never believe what people call information for at 3:15 in the morning. I'll tell you it ain't a phone number. So I don't paint myself as the "model employee" I'll tell you about my first brush with discipline. I was fortunate enough to be working what was referred to as the "Non-Pub Desk" one night. Basically when you called in for a phone number and were told that it was a non-published number, the operator who told you that knew only that information, and if you made enough noise or said the right words, you were transferred to the non-Pub Desk. Once there, you would tell your tale of woe to that operator, who would take your information down and then call the non-published customer and tell them that Mr/Mrs So and so requested a callback at the whatever number you had. So, one night I get a caller transferred to me who wanted the number of William Clemments on xxx street in Dallas. I once again inform the caller that the number is non-publish and I am unable to give it out. They persist, and I inform them that all I can do is take their name and number and give that to Mr. Clemments. They opt for that, I take the information hang up and call the number I have for Mr. Clemments. Keep in mind that it's early 1980, and I've been in Texas for about 5 years. Well the person who answered was kinda rude, I mean I was just doing my job and yes I know it's 3AM. But anyway, he informed that I COULD NOT leave a message at that number under no uncertain terms, and that's where I thought things ended. I was wrong. When I came to work the next evening my boss was there, which was odd because she usually worked days. She asked me to come to her office and when I got there two gentlemen in suits were inside. They introduced themselves as Asset Protection (the company's version of security). Turned out that Williams Clemments on xxx street in Dallas was actually GOVERNOR BILL CLEMMENTS OF TEXAS. Who knew? People I worked with in "Traffic": Pam Bransford )who I would marry in 1982 and divorce in 2000), Juanita Hernandez, Cheryl Sullivan, Alice Swint, Dorothy Dees, Nina Valdes, BJ Eagleston, Mary Adcock and so many more I wish I could remember.

  After 5 long years in what was referred to as "Traffic" back then, I was finally able to transfer outside. To say I was welcomed with open arms, would be somewhat of a bald faced lie. Later on I was told that the Friday before I showed up the crew was informed that they were getting a new member, who was "a snotty nosed (expletive) operator", and that they needed to do their best to get me to retreat back to operator services as fast I could. Most of them took that request to heart. No one was mean, or threatening, let's be clear on that, but OH the horror stories they said I was going to face on this new job. Looking back it was amazing that I didn't go running back the very first day. However, this is when a man by the name of Robert Thomasson entered my life. His first words to me were "Hey Dude! what about the spots?" (For those who don't know or have never actually met me, I have a skin condition where I have no pigment in places scattered all over my body.) Mustering all the courage a "a snotty nosed (expletive) operator" could muster, I stuck out my hand to shake his and said "Leprosy, nice to meet you.". A friendship was born. One of most satisfying and intense friendships I have ever had, and it latest 14 years until he passed away in 1998. Robert I will never forget you and will always "love you man!". People I worked with as a technician: Eddy Kropp, Jim Hill, John Hill, Pat Waggoner, Mike Darby, Fred Burkhardt, Shirley Scott, Doyle Bratcher, Jim Donaho, Richard Gordon, Jimmy Stewart, Greg McGaughey, Tony Chantaca, Neal White and again my memory fails me.

  After some coaxing from some very good friends, Charlie Isom and Mike Evans, I decided to get into management and was promoted in October of 1996, starting as the repair/install manager over the Renner wire center in north Dallas. In January of 2001, I was promoted again to area manager (thank you again Charlie Isom) and moved to Chicago Illinois to work in the newly founded Infrastructure Maintenance organization. Now I was born in the Midwest, lived in Iowa, North and South Dakota, so I knew what winters could be like. I quickly realize that after 25 years living in Texas, the cold north was NOT for me. So after 3 long years I was able to transfer back to the DFW area. I spent 3 years in the LOC and the rest has been in the NDC, the final year in the UVDC side of the NDC. People I've worked with since becoming a manager: (this list will be longer and in no particular order, but still not complete) Tim Swearingen, Candy Conway, Al Silva, Jimmy Cochran, Andy Mapes, Jeff Zumwalt, Beverly Johnson, Amanda Rollins, Steve Slindee, Charlie Hubbard, Cathy Davis, Paul Meador, Paul Dilodovico, Sylvia Spangler, Joe Fierros, Orlando Cagiuoa, Kitty Drennan, Tina Kurt, Ed Brady, Steve Herbert, Janie McGowan, Angie Williams, Tammy Martin, John Garcia, Donna Robards, Midge Duncan, Terry Cheshier, Rhea Russell, Trey Mellina, Lupe Montero Jr., Mat Thornhill, Rob Peters, Janet Sanford, Skip Chavez and the list goes on and on.

  It's hard to sum up 34 years in 4 short paragraph, so I may come back and devote more to the subject. But for now, it's all I can do.