Page 123 - Firehouse Pond

RECLAMATION

AND THE INTERVENTION BY AN EGGHEAD

After retirement, I started my own business. I opened a computer repair and
training lab. The business plan was simple; people have computers that they

knew little to nothing about. The industry was still in its infancy. There were
a lot of hardware failures that only needed a little tweaking. I would fill that
gap. It worked, I worked, and I rested from my military fatigue. I reclaimed
my self-esteem and was prepared to face the big bad world.

Coincidentally, I had been a substitute teacher for several years. I continued
to do so. I also performed computer training and repair on a contract basis. I

knew how to work and program macros in the two most used spreadsheet
programs, and I was very good at the necessary math. This too would open
doors to my future.

A few weeks before retiring, I had been granted permission to teach a series
of computer classes on a nearby military base. I was an adjunct professor at a

junior college, they had been awarded the contract.

The door to my future would open when I least expected and would lead to
some unexpected events.

Christmas holidays were starting and the woman in charge of the computer
lab was also working at a store that sold computer software. She was

instrumental in my hiring for the short Christmas season. That part-time job
and a secret shopper would change my life.

After retiring, and before starting my business, I went to work for a small

local company. The job involved electronic computer components and their
repair. The job itself is unimportant. What happened is what’s significant.
The owner, in my opinion, was less than honest and was asking me to sign

purchase orders and repair tickets for work that was not always performed, or
perhaps was never required in the first place. I quit!