Work Weirdness

My friend Jan, in response to my post about Clowns, reminded me that she once had a job where she had to dress and act clownish. Not her idea of a good time.

When I graduated from college, I worked in a small ad agency and did a lot of things that they did not prepare me for during my education. Then I moved to the corporate world at the entry level. Yeah! I am a baby executive and I'll earn my stripes. I was hired in the marketing department to do mainly copy writing and some account service. This was the 80s and bank marketing involved a lot of branch openings. So, you coordinate the ribbon cutting ceremony, you arrange the coffee and danish, you get the proper city officials to appear, you coordinate the contests.

At the time, we had a children's savings account, "The Squirrel Account." It had lots of fun things for kids to help them learn about money management, savings and a coloring book that helped them learn some terminology. The Squirrel Account's mascot was Filbert the Squirrel. He showed up at branch openings and charmed the children.

At least twice, I had someone bail on me and I became Filbert at the last moment. I tried very hard not to imagine how many people had worn this heavy, sweaty, disgusting suit.

They did not train me for this in journalism school. But, I did it.

When my maniac dog barks at squirrels, I bark too. I've been a squirrel; I don't want to do it again.