Tuesday, June 7, 2011

How a Job Changed My World

Did you ever think how starting a new job could change your world forever? Well it did for me.

In January, 1994, I took a job in the Parts Dept of a Coin-Operated company in the Meadowlands, doing data entry. I was 19. I answered phones, did data entry & filing. It was a job that paid well & had benefits, for a 19 yr old this was like the lottery!

I slowly got to know the customers that called looking for parts for their video games & vending machines. Sometimes if the guys taking the orders were all on the phone I'd talk to some of the friendlier customers while I did my work. No flirting or anything like that, just being friendly.

Eventually when the local customers came to pick up their parts I'd put names to voices & meet some of them. This is how I met Joe. My first opinion of him was that he was a jerk. I soon learned he wasn't, I was obviouslly too quick to judge & was having a hard day at work.

At the time, we were dating other people & we were just friends through work. Nothing more than that.

That May, my Dad was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. By November, he was gone.

My boyfriend at the time (of almost 4 yrs) was there for me during the funeral & the months afterward. But what stunned me was the response from work. So many co-workers came to the viewing & funeral. What was a real shocker was when I not only saw flowers from Joe (a customer), but when we came to my father's viewing.

When he heard about my dad being sick, he offered to be there for me if I needed to talk. Reason being? His mom had died a few years prior from cancer. He understood what I was going through. I thought that was so nice of him, but I never took him up on it.

By March 1995, my boyfriend & I were over. I was sad, but at the time I knew it was for the best--we weren't on the same page. When I was ready I slowly started dating again. At some point during this time, Joe broke up with his girlfriend. By now I was thinking more of him than just a customer, but was too afraid of the age gap between us, so I let it go. We're thirteen years apart.

My boss at the time, John, & another co-worker, Bobby, were really good friends with Joe (still are) & John would tell me all the time how I should date Joe. I always protested how he was too old for me, blah, blah, blah.

Things eventually did go from just talking on the phone during work, to flirting. Eventually he asked me out & I said yes.

He took me to dinner, & we talked easily. It was never weird between us, either that we knew each other from work or the age difference. Right away it was like we had always known each other. It was an instant connection.

During dinner, I saw a commercial on a nearby TV, for "Braveheart" opening in theaters that weekend & mentioned how I'd like to see it, not expecting anything, just talking. He offered to take me that weekend--no playing those mind games that most guys play, just straight-forward. I agreed & we went that weekend.

Not sure when I realized he was "the one", but I do know it happened early on in our relationship. He was just so interesting & great to be around. We both wanted the same things in life & we spent as much time together as we possibly could.

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Fast forward to today & we've been together for 16 years.

SIXTEEN.YEARS.

Today is the anniversary of our 1st date. He is still the same guy I met all those years ago, but better...... He's mine!


Taken on our wedding anniversary this past weekend with my iphone.


To read the "in-between" part of our story (if you're not sick of hearing it) you can read THIS POST. Much shorter & to the point. ;)

3 comments:

Laura T. said...

What a great story - congratulations!

Deneen said...

Congrats it is so nice to hear a good old fashion love story with the happily ever after too :)

Anonymous said...

That's a great story! That sounds almost exactly like my story too! Craig and I met at work! This brought back those memories! Thanks for sharing!