Friendly DeFeat

I'm not one to talk about my job nor to brag. However; there are exceptions to every rule. Without revealing a great deal about my current Career, I will venture to say that such has a lot to do with production. And without bragging, I will reveal the fact that no one at work will ever venture to call me by my middle name, Michelle. The reason being, from the beginning I was nicked-named ‘Jean The Machine ’; a compliment to my production speed in certain areas. The name has stuck with me and hence, self-expectation to constantly live up to such name has been my friend and enemy. A few months ago, I gladly shared with a Co-Worker some tips. She not only mastered my technique, she surpassed me. The goal was an output of 1,000 and she was the first Person to achieve this. And so some may assume the dance with the ego begins. However; I was proud to congratulate her and brag on her behalf. Admittedly though, I was determined to match her. We were like that, Friendly competition to keep us both on our toes. Perhaps something I thrived on from my early basketball days.

I remember at my old job, a Customer said; ‘you must have played basketball’. I never really thought about the skills such a sport gave me until that was said. There I was able to serve three Customers at a time. While one Customer would be counting chump change to pay for items, I’d be ringing up another Customer who would opt to write a check and while this Person wrote I would reach over and accept cash from another Customer while answering the Customer Service phone. And without missing a beat, I’d continue back to the loose change now counted/verified and receive the paper trail with proper id from the other Person. No one seemed to mind cause the line kept moving at a fast speed. Yes, the good old days of basketball and Team Spirit. I remember making my first hooped score that gave me a nice taste of confidence, nothing could stop me after that. In fact, we went on to win State Championship later that year!

St. Rose New Lexington,Ohio

#15 Jean The Machine

Still the competitive nature stays with me and so at last, a week later I matched my Co-Worker - as of today, with an unintentional output of 1, 001. Second Person to attain the goal! To be honest, I don’t know how I achieved this. Yet a sense of being Proud filled inside myself because the odds were against me. I had come close several other times. Once before my Co-Worker succeeded I had 964, however; Murphy’s Law took place that day and soon after the work ran out. So close, yet no go. Today was just another one of those unfortunate days where anything that could go wrong did, additionally; again the work was intermittent, slow in arriving, and at times nil. The hour of shift change was nearing. However; somehow I managed.

Coincidentally, I came home to find the answer to how I accomplished this feat, it was on my Blog in the Inspirational Quotes and Pictures box:

"The difference between the impossible
and the possible lies in a
person's determination."
- Tommy Lasorda