Picture it...1992...
Well, in 1992 I was a senior in high school. One day when I was hanging out
with some friends at lunch, my friend Tommy asked my friend Jacob if he was
still getting him an application. Well, I didn't know what they were talking
about, so of course, being the nosy person I am, I asked, "What application?"
I didn't know it at the time, but that question was the first step on the path
to finding my future husband!!
It turns out that they were talking about a job application. At his mother's urging, Jacob had been scanning the classifieds daily, looking for a part time job. When he saw that a new movie theatre was opening in our town, he thought that might be a pretty cool first job for a teenager. So he decided to go and apply. He had told Tommy about it and Tommy had asked him to get an application for him also.
The funny thing is, I hadn't been looking for a job at all. I didn't even have a driver's license, much less a car to get to a part time job. But for some reason when I heard about the opportunity, I thought, "Why not?" So I asked Jacob to get me an application too. So here I am, unwittingly walking into a meeting with my future husband totally on a whim! Now you may have realized at this point that I got the job, and met Mike while working there. That much is true. But the destiny part is that thinking back, I probably never should have gotten that job, due to the unusual circumstances behind my interview. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I filled out the application at school the next day, and gave it back to Jacob to return for me. A few days later I got a message that they wanted to interview me. I tried to call the lady back, but was never able to get in touch with her. So she gave the time and date information to my mom, and I planned on being there. My mom, on the other hand, was wondering why I was interviewing for a job I couldn't even get to. I was wondering that, too, but since I had never had a job before, and never dreamed that my first job would be something so "glamorous" as a movie theatre, I had to try. Well, the morning of the interview dawned. My friend Jacob had an interview too, later in the day, but being a good-natured guy he had agreed to drive me to my interview. Three friends had stayed over the night before (my mom was out of town), so the four of us were lazily eating our breakfast when I got a call from Jacob. "I'm on my way. Sorry I'm a little late."
Well, you notice I said we were having a leisurely breakfast. So I was confused. On his way? A little late? What was he talking about. Well a few panicked questions later, I realized that the night before was the "spring forward" from daylight savings time to standard time...yes, I was an hour later than I thought! Well, at this point it was time to leave and I wasn't even showered or dressed. I hurried through my preparations and we left as soon as I was ready. Unfortunately for me, as soon as I was ready turned out to be about an hour later. So I actually arrived at the theatre for the interview nearly an hour late. I really wanted that job! On the way there I discussed two issues with Jacob. The first was the transportation issue. I was planning to get my driver's license in a few months and knew I could drive one of my mother's cars, so I begged him to agree that if we both got hired, he'd drive me to work just until then. To make it easier I told him I would ask the theatre manager to schedule us at the same time. The second issue was that of my lateness. I brainstormed excuses and explanations, and finally settled on the "I thought my interview was supposed to be at 10:00 [an hour later]" story. Jacob seemed doubtful, but agreed that it was the best of a bunch of lousy excuses.
I was met at the door by the general manager of the theatre, Patricia. I told her my excuse for being late and she said, "Oh, honey! Your interview was at 9:00! Mr. Hurst has been waiting for you. Let me see if I can find him." Now this is the first of the unusual happenings that got me this job...because the district manager, Mr. Hurst was doing all the interviewing and hiring for the theatre staff, and he was nowhere to be found! Well, Patricia decided to do the interview herself. She asked me a few questions, including a little math quiz question about making change, and then came the big issue: transportation. I told her that my friend Jacob would give me a ride to work and that he had an interview later in the day. She asked me, "If he doesn't get the job, will he still bring you to work?" Good question! I lied and told her yes. "If you have to work when he doesn't, will he still bring you?" Ack! I lied again, saying yes. I would be totally ashamed telling you about my lies if it weren't for the knowledge that those little white lies actually led me to Mike!
When the interview with Patricia was over she went again to find the district manager so that he could at least meet me. Can you believe he was still missing?? So I left without meeting him. I was sure I hadn't gotten the job. Everything I had learned about job interviews started with the addage that if you're late, they won't hire you. But I think maybe it helped me, not having met Mr. Hurst. Surely a district manager wouldn't have hired someone who showed up an hour late...no matter what the excuse! So I count my blessings that he just happened to disappear right when I arrived...because I found out a few days later that I was hired! Later I learned that I was the only applicant interviewed by someone other than Mr. Hurst.
Well, I started the job on the night of employee orientation. That was in April of 1992. I wish I could remember the date that I met my fiance, but since I had no idea I was sitting in the same room with the man I would some day marry, I didn't make any particular note of it. In fact, although I know he was there that night, I don't have any real memories of him until weeks later. He actually became friends with my friend Jacob, and that's how I met Mike. Romance was still four years (and two breakups) away, but from these inauspicious beginnings came true love! It can happen to anyone, if destiny takes a hand. I told a lie and through a few strange twists of fate, inadvertantly found my husband. It just goes to show that you never know where life will lead you.
Now, how we became a couple is another story. But we'll have to save that for another day.
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