The kids in my office…
As I arose this morning, thanking, praying and doing stretches
and ROM exercises in bed quietly… I reminisced when I had high schoolers and
some college kids working in my office. It was so long ago. I would say, easily
fifteen years ago. Those kids ages sixteen to twenty-one were many and were for
the most part good kids. I think about them often. And to say so, is quite accurate.
I wondered this morning why they had always been on my mind
over the years, as I had older people hired here and there. I think it is
because I am fascinated, yet proud that they worked for me. Some were three hours a week, some were ten
hours a week. I flowed with whatever hours
they could work. Most of them went on to
college and were incredibly successful. I think about sixteen of them, there
were: MACS, Evan, Kate, Jenn, Britta, Sandy, Nikki, Alice, Tracey, Meghan,
Edith, Melissa, Lauren, Lauren Alysson, Jenna,
Three were sisters from Midland Park. I
had a mixed bag of students, they were American, Canadian, English, Mexican and
Chinese. I also remember some of their siblings as well and one if not both
their parents. I had one young man.
There were two Lauren’s. Which I thought was unusual. One liked to be
called by her acronym, MACS, which was her whole name’s initials.
What I remember probably the most was, that I could be
myself around them. My true-self is ‘goofball’. Well, not always, but much. I
could get most of them to laugh and that to me many times is something I live
for. They went into fields, of Nursing, Finance, Law, Physical Therapy, Social-Psychology,
and Fashion Design, etc… I think four became nurses. As well, some have become parents.
So, the one of the four who remained longest with me was
Kate. She became a fashion designer in Japan. Yep. I never would have thought
of it. Kate loved the television show ‘Cheers’. I had already developed a knack
for imitating… Oh yes. I do impersonations. Started at age, almost five, and
haven’t stopped. Any-who, I imitated three of the characters on the sitcom ‘Cheers’. And one in particular. When I found out that
it made Kate laugh, well then… When no one else was around… I’d backtrack to
the office entrance (waiting for applause…hahahahaha) and start talking to her
like I was that character. Kate would begin to giggle, and then lose it a
bit. And we’d laugh together.
One day she interviewed a new client on the phone and it
just so happened he held the first name of one of the characters on ‘Cheers’. And it was Kate’s favorite character, mind
you. So, the week before he came in, I really worked on that character
imitation. Kate warned me, “Jody, you’d
better stop. What if you do that when he’s here?” She shook her head and began
to giggle. I responded, “Oh com’on. That’ll never happen.”
Soon the day came we met the new client, who was ailing from
straining his back. His wife and a colleague who knew me, had sent him to me.
Well, I finished the session and walked out. And said his name in a quiet,
funny way to Kate. She smiled and quietly said back, “Stoooop.” As any teenage young
lady would. I giggled and went off to wash my hands. I came back and he’d just
arrived at our front desk from my treatment room. Kate was waiting for me to see how she should
fill out the statement with a prescription from his doctor. I came around the heightened desk/shelving
top separating the client from the privacy of our business desk, where Kate sat
waiting. I looked over her shoulder, and saw she’d only written his first name.
I said, “You forgot his last name. It’s….” I remarked the name of the character
on ‘Cheers’ I’d been imitating all week long. The client looked at me and said,
“Huh?” I quickly straight-faced and all,
stated the correct last name. We all kept a straight-face. Well actually, he couldn’t see Kate’s. She
was beginning to lose it.
Everything went well. He paid and we gave him his receipt for
insurance submission. About thirty seconds after he left, both Kate and I lost
it. Laughing hysterically. So, the next time her mother came into my office to
pick Kate up after work. She commented, “I heard you do impersonations.” Kate
rolls her teenage eyes, “Oh no.” Like her secret was found out, of having fun
at work. Then Kate said, “Can you imitate… for my Mom?” So… upon request… I
did.---Jody-Lynn Reicher
Comments
Post a Comment