DaKabN
The First Day
Years ago I had found my talent. And that was after 20 years of misery because I didn’t think I had one. I was thrilled to find this talent God had blessed me with. I fiddled with it for my church and another dream came true. People came to me to do something for them. It’s not that they couldn’t do it—I feel anyone could use these programs with any amount of skill and little imagination—but either they didn’t have the time, desire, or they just thought I could do it better (trying to boost my ego here ;) Yet, I found this talent after I had graduated high school, and I wasted 3 years going after 2 degrees I never completed. The first I wanted to be a teacher and went to a 4-year college. However I decided to live on campus and it was about 2 hours from home so after 2 days into the freshman orientation I got really home sick. I had cried my whole graduating year, because this was an end to an era of my life I had grown so used to. So I came home after realizing that living at home after high school didn’t make me a loser. The next spring semester I enrolled in a loco 2-year college going for what I thought at the moment I had a knack for: Network Administration. I did good the first year or so with the basic classes. I had thought I want I had gotten a job at a buildings and grounds department at a large company doing office work and other miscellaneous things, as I was a student worker. Sometime during my second semester at college some crazy things happened at home and I felt I needed to finally start making money. Well before I graduated I had begun to work in the tech area of my newly found church home. Which sparked an interest in computers. Since my “geek role models” were doing administration I thought surely I could too. But while playing with computers and things sparking in my mind, I got into playing around with some graphic programs and found I really enjoyed it and after beginning to use it for practical reasons at the church, I began to wonder if I could do this as a living. With this I looked and found I could, if I had at least a 2-year degree. So my last semester of that college, I began to lose interest in my current major, finding it boring and too intense for my brain. I blew my grades and ruined my grant, but at this crossroad, I just didn’t care. I knew what I wanted now, and I was unsure how to get there. I asked if the college I was currently attending had a graphic design program. All they had was CAD. Well CAD is a design program, but not the kind I was wanting. I graduated at the time of my two younger friends who were my teachers of how to be a tech at church. We all graduated at the same time (one was real smart and home-schooled, he graduated a year early. I graduated a year late. The middle one graduated right on time) and they wanted to come to their college. Well, I wanted to, but at the time I was still too scared to get my license and my parents were not going to take me to a school an hour away. But I looked for 2-year colleges with graphic design degree and this was hard. One of the friends had began to work at the school and he told me of a new program I would never had learned of any other way and it was the closest school. So I got my license finally and am now there, dreaming of this future.
Lori Cox
12-18-01
Sitting at my new desk I sighed a sigh of relief and smiled. The years of dreaming and studying had paid off. So here I sit. In a beautiful office with a loaded computer with a graphic tablet, and already 2 assignments: one due on Wednesday and another before next Monday. There was a new company in the city where I go to church, which is 30 miles from my home. I am very involved in the church and find that I should build my life around my duties there, including where I work and live, and this town being not very high-tech, I knew it wasn’t very likely to find my dream job there. God again provided it however. This new company basically did commercial advertising. This being a new company my job was two-fold. Design the needed graphics and design the layout using the text provided. Basically what I do for my church, but I get paid and it’s more of a steady flow of work.
They gave me a choice of a Mac or a PC. Well really not. I had planned to play with Macs to increase my chances for such a job, and I was still intrigued by them. They said they had not bought the computer yet because they needed to know what I would like on it. I asked what options I have, they told me the options and I stopped them because that sounds like a Mac. I told them I am proficient in PCs, so that would probably be best. They were a bit shocked, but they had already seen what I had done, and the network technicians came to my rescue by saying this was great as Macs are a pain to include in a network. I was glad I started out on the good side with the IT department.
I turned on my computer and suddenly realized I didn’t have a password. Having been through a few networking courses I decided to try “password.” I smiled as it began to load. I looked at the desktop. The basic programs and the office tool bar were on there. I looked through the Start menu and found several programs I was not familiar with. I had asked the IT techs to include PhotoDraw in with my Office installation, and it was there. The CEO knew what programs I knew and didn’t, but he wanted me to have a full arsenal and said I could have what I do know while I learn the new ones. He understood there are just so many programs; one person can only learn (and afford to learn) a few.
Any project information was to be received through email. I opened my Outlook and deleted the Welcome message from Microsoft. I read the memos and made some folders: one for “completed projects,” one for “memos,” and I would keep uncompleted projects in my inbox. I printed to 2 emails and walked down the hall. As I said it was a small company and only had one printer so far.
I was still feeling shy and uneasy with these new people and I simply smiled as I passed a few. I entered the workroom and saw one of the techs. He smiled, “Were you able to log into your computer?”
I nodded, “It was a lucky guess.” I thought suddenly, “I think I better change it when I get back though.”
He laughed, “Yes, that would be good. Do you know how?”
I thought a moment, “It’s Windows 200 right?” He nodded and I smiled, “Then I sure do.” I looked around for a printer and I suppose I had a confused look on my face since he laughed again. I didn’t want to sound dumb, but I couldn’t see the printer. “Um, the printer is in here right?”
He laughed again, “Yea, your expecting one of those big Xerox ones aren’t you? We’ll get one of those later, but for right now we got this trouble maker.” He pointed to a small Canon Multipass.
“Oh no! I had one of those at my last job. Printed for a few weeks and never again. Even our IT department couldn’t figure it out and I gave up after calling Canon.”
He gave a mock smug answer, “Well, we’re better techs. We guarantee this will print anything, eventually.”
I smiled, “The word eventually is the only word that makes that statement true, but thanks for the reassurance.” My documents were in fact in the tray, under a few faxes and I looked around wondering where to put them, not wanting to leave them in the tray. I thought out loud, “We need a tray to put faxes in.”
The tech was still there but had resumed his work on doing something to the hub but heard me and answered, “Not a bad idea. Usually Faxes have an Attention line and we could just put them in the person’s mailbox. We do need a box for print jobs, and one for unknown recipient faxes. Go tell Julian.”
I didn’t know who that was, “Who is she?”
He smiled, “It’s a he, and he is the, uh, I guess accountant. Until we get a supply clerk we tell him what we need. He’s in the office left of Maria.”
I knew Maria; she was the CEO’s secretary. As I walked, I wondered why they hadn’t asked me to be the supply clerk instead, since I did that at my last job for so long. I was glad they didn’t, I was good at some things, but I was clumsy and reluctant at some of the tasks. I came to Julian’s office and tapped at the doorframe seeing his back to me. He turned and smiled, “Hello. Can I help you?”
I nodded, “I’m Lori, the new Graphic Designer.” I gulped hearing myself say my dream title for the first time. I almost lost why I came, “Um, I was just in the work room and noticed…well I thought it would be a good idea to have a couple boxes in there for unknown printouts and faxes.” I was becoming very nervous. I wasn’t used to asking for things to be ordered, which was usually my job.
He smiled and started writing something, “Great idea. Glad I thought of it.” I was too nervous to catch the joke even after he winked. He laughed, “I was kidding! If you have any other fabulous ideas, don’t hesitate to let me know. It’ll be hard to know who to talk to, but we’re pretty small and you won’t have to go through too many people before you find the right one.”
I smiled now. He was a sharp one. “Thank you. If you ever need me, let me know.” Then I frowned, realizing my job really had nothing to do with interacting with others than whoever it was who thought up the text for the ads.
He winked again, “Well actually, I am creating a form and it just doesn’t seem right.”
I walked over to see his desktop. His form was created in Word. I felt Excel was best when creating forms for best line-up and creating fill-in lines. I was still nervous, but I had tons of ideas for that form. I had to make myself realize this was not my job here. “You might try using Excel instead.”
“Excel? Isn’t that the program with the rows and columns?”
I tried not to laugh, “Those rows and columns make it easier to line things up and make more even lines. Its very versatile.”
“If you know how to use it.”
“I can show you a few basics.”
“No you can’t.” I heard a voice and turned around. It was the CEO. I wasn’t going to question him but looked at him confused, not sure if he was joking or not.
He smiled, “I know your type. You see someone who needs to know something and you try to teach him or her better and easier ways. I appreciate your willingness, but we all need to learn new things, and you will come upon many opportunities to help, but that will leave you little time to do your job. I pay you to design. If you pass by and can help for a few moments, good, we’re a team, but teaching Julian Excel could take weeks.” He winked at Julian.
Julian nodded, “He’s right. It took me 3 months to be able to do this in Word.”
I felt strange, and I looked at the document again. “Separate the lines more. Make the questions bold and make the explanations italic or something to set them off.” I looked at the CEO.
He nodded, “That’s ok. Give suggestions. Do you really think Julian would do better making forms in Excel?”
I gulped, “Yes, sir, I do.”
He smiled, “Then we’ll find a way to have him learn it.”
The CEO left and I closed my eyes and sighed. Julian looked up at me, “Thanks.”
I wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic and I looked at him, “Sorry. Didn’t mean to do that.”
He laughed, “No. Really thanks. I’ll do anything to make things easier on myself.”
I nodded and walked back to my office. When I had sat down I plopped my head in my hands thinking what an idiot I felt like. I sighed and decided I better get started. I read the one due soon. It was for a newspaper ad announcing a concert at a park. Black and white. I wondered if I should design it in color and then grayscale, but I thought no, I’d be disappointed liking the colors and they not be used. I would start out black and white. It just had the What, When, and Where, but no information about what it was really about. I never heard of the band. I sighed and decided I wanted to do that before I started, so I clicked my blue e. I got a 404. I sighed and picked up my phone and pushed the auto dial put on the phone for the IT clerk.
“Hello, IT, can I help you?”
I gulped and prayed this phone call wouldn’t later be in the “lame helpdesk client” archives to be circulated around the Internet forever. “I, uh, can’t seem to connect to the Internet.”
“We haven’t got service yet. We should have the T1 hooked up by next month.”
I closed my eyes frustrated, “Ok. Thank you.”
“Well, what were you needing?”
“Um, I am working on an ad for a concert and I know nothing about the band, I was hoping I could find some information on them.”
“What’s the name of the band?”
“Um,” I looked at the memo, “Jocular Vein.” I grimaced saying it.
“Oh, my son listens to them. Thrash, screaming, distorted guitar.”
“What kind of lyrics do they sing?”
“Well from what I could understand before I could get to Josh’s room to turn it down, it’s kind of angry and depressed.”
I thought about it a moment, “Does your son have a picture of them?”
“Yes, several.”
“Would he mind to scan them and email them to me at work?”
“I’ll do it if he doesn’t. I’ll bring a disk for you tomorrow morning.”
I was truly grateful, “Oh thank you so much!”
“You’re very welcome.”
We hung up and I tried to think of what I could do until I got the picture. I used to read the “Free Press” and they often advertised odd bands. I had a clue as to the style. I decided on a black background. Considering the name, they probably wanted something gory. I had gory text, but I felt uneasy doing this project. I called the help desk again, “Hi, its Lori again.”
“Oh hi! By the way, I’m Susie.”
“Hi, um, that band? Do they sing satanic stuff?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Well, I wouldn’t feel right about being part of promoting that. I’ll go as far as secular, but I will not go for glorifying Satan.”
There was a pause, “You’re a Christian aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
I heard her sigh, “So is Miles, our CEO. You might want to talk with him. He doesn’t handle the accounts really. Jack does. Jack usually gets approval from Miles.”
“Thank you. Are you a Christian?”
Another pause, “Depends what you mean by Christian.”
“Do you believe that Jesus died for you and He is your Lord?”
“I believe He existed, but…” She paused again, “Look, we both have work to do. We can have lunch sometime.”
I smiled, “Ok, but fair warning. I’ll talk about Jesus.”
“I’m used to it.”
We hung up and I went to go speak to Miles. This needed to be discussed face-to-face. I stood in his door as he was facing the door, but on the phone. He saw me and smiled and motioned me to come sit. I sat and looked down waiting for him to hang up the phone.
“Yes. Ok, I’ll see you later pumpkin.” He hung up the phone, “My grand-daughter. She wanted Pepa to bring some candy when he came to visit tonight.” I smiled at him. He was an elderly man, about 60, and a good Christian. “So, how is everything.”
I sighed deciding to be honest, “Well, the people here are very friendly, and I get help when I need it. However, I got a memo to do an ad for this band I never heard of. I can’t get access to the Internet to look up on them, so I called Susie and she was nice and she’ll scan a picture that her son has for me and told me a little about them. I question though, sir, if we should do business with them.”
He looked at me a moment and I gulped as he asked, “Why do you think that?”
I was really nervous now. “I don’t mean we shouldn’t. I would like to know what they are about. Mainly, if their lyrics glorify Satan.”
He looked down and nodded, “When we first started this business, I told Jack we would do mainly Christian organizations, but he said we could also do secular work. I agreed with the incentive of being a witness to our clients while working for them. I told him we would not, under any circumstances, do business for clients who endorse abortion, divorce, gay rights, Satan, or anything immoral. Please, find some way to research this group. If you feel uncomfortable doing this, we’ll drop them.”
I blinked, “You leave this account in my hands?”
He looked very serious, “You’ll be the one creating it. The blood will be on my hands as the authority over you, but it is also on yours.”
I nodded, “Thank you."
I got up and left back to my office. I decided I would wait on this and look this band up at home tonight. I wrote a note to remind myself. I looked at the next memo and sighed with relief. It was from a company I knew was Christian based. In fact I personally knew the owners. I had gotten this job a week ago, however I don’t think I got around to telling them. Jack said they got these requests last Tuesday after the advertisement hit the papers. Along with that was the ad for a graphic designer, to which I obviously applied and got. They wanted an ad for next week advertising a contest. Apparently they would mark the bottom of plates and when a person completed a meal, they would know if they won or not. The project was to design a simple mark for the plates. Then I was to design an in-store banner and an advertisement for flyers and newspaper. I decided I would create the in-store banner first and base the flyer off that, and play with the size for the newspaper ad.
First was the mark. I went into my favorite program and drew a circle within a circle, guesstimating the proportions. Then I decided I need the right ones, so I called the number on the memo.
“Hello, this is Lori Cox from Mecca Advertising.”
“Hello! Why didn’t you tell me you got a job there?”
“I never got around to it. Actually, I’m working on your ad, and I need some additional information.”
“Oh sure, what is it you need to know?”
“The size of your plates.”
“Oh the ones for the contest are the 9 inch dinner plates. I’m not sure how wide the rim is.”
“That’s ok. It’ll be in the center anyway. Do you have a preferred size of the mark?”
“Just small enough to unnoticed until they eat down to it. Can you make it like a flower or something?”
“I can make it anything you want.”
“Well, I really don’t know. How about you do a few and I’ll choose. By the way the plates are solid black.”
“I thought so. The mark will be solid white.”
“Great, just email me the samples.”
“I got your email in the memo. We don’t have Internet access here, but I can find a way, like bringing the files home and emailing them from there. I should have some for you by the end of the day as well as a draft for the banner, which I will use the same design for the flyer and ad.”
“Ok, well I got some customers coming. I better go.”
“Have a good day.”
I hung up and suddenly remembered I needed to change my password. I changed it quickly after thinking a moment of what it could be. I sighed thinking over this morning. I have a project due in 2 days that I am not even sure I can allow myself to do. That will be decided tonight. Then I have about a day or two if it turns out this band is ok. No Internet, meaning I can only have intranet email going. I decided to play around with shapes and such for the plate mark. I had about 10 or so made before I decided to get started on the banner. I had made the title art when someone came to my office, but I didn’t realize it. “Lori?” I heard someone speak and I jumped out of my focus. I then realized my eyes were dry and my back was sore from sitting. I blinked and decided as soon as I was alone I would do a good stretch. It was Jack, “Do you have a moment?”
I looked at my screen and back to him still in a daze and nodded, “sure.”
“Good. Miles told me about your little meeting.”
I looked at him, frightened at what he would say next.
“Miles and I have been good friends. I have no interest in this Christianity junk, but Miles is a good businessman and decided to go into this with me 50/50. We made some agreements. He told me he left this decision up to you?”
I nodded, “Yes.”
He pulled up a chair across from me, “Do you realize how much this band’s manager is willing to pay us for this little ad?”
I shook my head and suddenly grew firm, “It also doesn’t matter.”
He drew back his head giving me a surprised look at such a response from me, “Oh?”
“What would I gain to have to the whole world but lose my soul?” I wasn’t sure where I heard that, but it sounded like a right defense.
“You know. You got this job because there aren’t many people in this area even considering such a low-demand field and we’re in start-up and couldn’t afford to bring in someone from out of state. Yea, you got some skill, but I seen work more artistic than your digital doodles.”
His words stung and gripping my temper and tears retorted, “What’s that have to do with this conversation.”
“Just letting you know that as soon as we can afford to, we’ll have someone better. You may be lucky to be knocked to assistant. Well, you could be supply clerk. I know you have experience in that.”
With that he left and I stared at the banner I was creating. I looked out my window and saw a sign across the road and looked back and forth feeling the sign outside was much better than I could ever come up with. I fought off tears and tried to think more of this project but I just couldn’t think anymore. What was the point? I began to wonder if I should go back to my old job where my co-workers liked me. I got up and shut my door and put my head in my hands sobbing. The phone rang and I tried the best I could to get myself together. I wiped my eyes and cleared my throat and picked up the phone, “Hello?”
“Lori?” It was the worship pastor at my church.
“Hi.”
“Are you ok?”
“I will be.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Some crazy stuff that really shouldn’t be happening on the first day at a new job. What can I do for you?”
“I’m sorry you’re day is going bad, but I need a favor.”
“Sure what is it?” I got out a pen and a pad.
“Do you remember hearing about the meeting tonight? I need a welcoming slide made.”
I did remember. It was the dinner for our church members and their friends who were over 45 years old. I obviously wasn’t old enough to go and the head technician said I didn’t need to come. “Sure. What do you want on it?”
“The theme is “He Who Laughs Last… I need a laughing person.”
“I can do that. When do you need it?”
“By 5 tonight. Can you email it?”
“Not from here. I can at home, but I don’t leave here until 5. I can come by the church and drop it off. Is around 5:30 ok?”
“It is now.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Ok, I’ll be there about 5:30 or earlier.”
“Alright bye.”
“Bye.” I hung up and looked in clipart for someone laughing. I found something that was ok, but it would have to do. I put the picture on there and slapped the words on in PowerPoint and saved on a disk and went back to my project still feeling sorry for myself. I looked at the clock and it was 2:00 pm. I realized I had not had lunch. I walked out and passed Jack’s office speeding my steps a bit and I walked into the fresh air.
I drove to Taco Bell and ate my usual and as I was getting ready to leave someone called me on my cell phone, “Hello?”
“Hey.” It was the Bobby, the head technician at church. “BK just called.” BK is Brother Kenny Daniel, our youth and worship pastor. “I can make a slide, so you don’t have to worry about coming up here.”
“But I already made it.”
“Oh, well than can’t you email it to me?”
“No.”
“No?”
“T1 won’t be installed at work for a month.”
“That stinks.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Well, if you insist you can bring it, but just letting you know you don’t have to.”
“Cuz any monkey can make a graphic.”
“What? I was just giving you a way out.”
“I don’t need a way out. I’ll see you around 5:30. I’d stay and do it, but I have to do some research.”
“Whoa. What’s with the mood?”
“I was just told I only got the job cuz I am basically the only loser in Arkansas willing to enter such a low-demand field and Mecca couldn’t afford to fly anyone in.”
“Who told you that and why?”
“Jack. He got this one account for some secular band. That’s ok, but I don’t have a good feeling and I want to check and see if they are Satanic. I talked to the CEO and he said it’s up to me to do it or drop it. I think that got Jack mad.”
“Ouch. Well, don’t let the jerk push you around. He can’t fire you.”
“No but the company is split 50/50 between him and Miles. Miles likes me, but I don’t know how far he’ll go to keep Jack in.”
“The question is, how far will he go to keep you in?”
“Well, like Jack said, there could always be someone else.”
“Maybe Miles really likes you though. You told me is a Christian. Maybe he knows God put you there and that’s all that matters.”
“Maybe. I will come to the church to drop this off though. Well, I didn’t spend TOO much time on it, so we’ll see.”
He laughed, “You’re funny. See ya later.”
I put my phone up and drove back to work. This guy was not only over me in the tech area, but also one of my best friends and he always makes me feel better. I knew those words would be a thorn for a while, but I felt well enough to do a little more designing.
I walked by Jack’s office, but he wasn’t in there. I could tell because his desk is situated so he can see and he can be seen by anyone coming in the front door. I walked to my office and found my door locked. I had not got a key yet and was told by maintenance it was ok not to lock it till I got one. I didn’t lock it. I know because I wasn’t even sure what kind of lock it was and I couldn’t have done it out of habit. I turned it both ways, pushing and pulling. I sighed and walked to the maintenance office. “Joe?”
Joe looked up from some work orders, “Hi there. What can I do ya for.”
“My office is locked. I didn’t lock it.”
He looked at me curiously. “Well, how odd. Let’s go check it out and I got the master key here.”
We walked back to my office and he unlocked and I checked the lock. “Someone locked you out.”
“Ok. Thanks.” I said just before he turned and left. I was growing angry and I threw my purse down on a chair and plopped in my chair feeling my face get warm. I moved the mouse and my computer came on, and there, as my background was a horrible pornographic picture. I changed my background and searched for the picture to delete it. I couldn’t find it and prayed that since I couldn’t anyone else couldn’t either. I felt like an idiot for not locking my computer before I left. I opened my email and clicked on my “sent” folder fearing the worst. There it was. An email to the CEO. An erotic elicit one. I walked quickly and shakedly to Miles’ office. “Miles! You know I would never say anything like that!”
He looked at me strangely, “What?”
That email. I forgot to lock my computer and someone went in there and sent a horrid email to you using my name. Then locked my door.”
He turned around and checked his email. “I see. I believe you. I don’t even think you even know what some of this stuff means.”
I was about ready to break down, “Who did this?”
He looked at me and stood up and walked to Jack’s office. He wasn’t in there. He walked down the hall with me following not sure if I should follow or not. He found Jack in Carla’s office. “Jack, come to my office now.”
I looked at Miles, “Do I need to come too?”
“Indeed,” he said as he walked back to his office. I followed him with Jack behind me. We stood in Miles’ office as Miles sat down. “Please sit.” We sat. “Jack, were you in Lori’s office today?”
“Yes sir, but she was in there too.”
I looked at Jack, “I think he means while I was at lunch.”
“Of course not!”
“Did you lock my door?”
“I thought you were gone for the day.”
“Why would I be gone so soon?”
“I don’t know. You may be lazy.”
Miles broke in then, “Jack!”
Jack sat up closer to Miles, “Well think about it Miles. She doesn’t want to do the Jocular Vein account!”
Miles looked at him, “The Jock what account?”
“The Jocular Vein account. All they ask for is a newspaper ad, which could lead to more things later on, but if we don’t do this ad, we’ll lose their business.”
“Jocular Vein?” Miles said it with disgust. “How’d you manage to get such an account in the first place Jack?”
“My nephew is a friend with the drummer’s brother.”
“You mean that bunch that came with you when I invited you to church. Our youth pastor said he was very disruptive and they asked him to turn his shirt inside out because of the crossbones and skull.”
“Yea, by the way he didn’t like the music.”
Miles rubbed his forehead, “Jack, does this email look familiar?” Miles opened the offensive email.
Jack gasped, “You got one too!” He looked at me, “Dang girl, you really want some.”
I stood up, “I never sent you anything and you know it!”
Miles sighed, “Lori, calm down. I trust you.”
Jack sat down as I did, “Then who don’t you trust Miles.”
Miles looked him straight in the eye, “You.”
Jack looked taken aback. “Well Miles, I own half this business. She does the Jocular Account.”
Miles looked at him, “I own half too. I got God on my side. She doesn’t if she finds they are not suitable to carry our talents.”
I stood again to get attention, “How about I decide this. If am made to do it and I find it offensive, I won’t even at the chance of being fired. Are we settled now?”
Miles sat back, “No we’re not.” He looked at Jack, “Jack, I simply can’t put up with this. I don’t want your partnership anymore.”
Jack looked very angry, “Then I take my half! Half the money! You owe me old man!”
Jack stood and left out the door. I looked at Miles, “I’m sorry.”
He smiled at me, “No, I am. I should never have partnered with him. We shouldn’t share our yoke with unbelievers. Always remember that. Now I must pay the consequences. I don’t even know if I can give out paychecks this week if I am going to owe him so much and keep us running.”
“I’ll stay here no matter what and I know God will prosper us.” I said smiling at him. “So much for a first day.”
He laughed, “Oh and it only gets better!”
