There was a job in San Francisco that I really wanted. The job was advertised in the paper — Assistant to the Head of the USO.  For those who might not know, USO stands for United Service Organizations.  The mission of the USO is to provide morale, welfare, and recreation-type services to uniformed military personnel.

The woman who headed up the USO in San Francisco interviewed me. I thought the world of her, much the way Lauren admires Phenomenal Boss.  I wanted to work with this lady whose name I don’t remember. She thought I was overqualified. The thing is I really wanted that job. I was so disappointed.

Then I didn’t know how to break through her objection, and now I would know how to persist — as you have seen Lauren persist — and stand a better chance.

As an aside, when I didn’t get the USO job, I got a job in an insurance agency run by three brothers. That sounds like it would be nice, doesn’t it, but it wasn’t. They would never talk to me. I mean exactly that. They wouldn’t talk to me.  They were right there, and they wouldn’t talk to me. They communicated by little written notes. I left soon enough.

The next job I turned down I think about and wonder how the whole course of my life might have changed. This was in Sacramento, and the job was offered to me. I would have liked the job, but, at the time Lauren was three, and I was a single parent. I was studying at the Waldorf School in the afternoons. Got home in time to make supper. I didn’t like to leave Lauren.

There was a wonderful chiropractor I went to. He was Chiropractor of the year that year. In addition to his chiropractic skills, he was a wonderful person. He shook everyone’s hand in the waiting room. What a simple thing. How many people do that? He even shook three-year old Lauren’s hand. He thought everyone was a person.

His office manager whose name I also forget was wonderful too.  She got off at five, but he continued working until seven or eight, as I remember. They eagerly asked me if I would take care of the office and work with the doctor from five until he was finished.

I was flattered to be asked. I can see their expectant faces, and how hard it was for me to say no. At the time, all I could think of was to be home with Lauren for supper. I can’t say I was wrong. At the same time, maybe Lauren and my time away at the Waldorf School were only excuses for not taking the job. Maybe I thought I couldn’t live up to what they expected of me. Who knows?

Now I kinda think there aren’t good reasons not to jump at a chance to work with someone wonderful.

Well, will you tell us about jobs you didn’t take or didn’t get?