You’re Fired
I somehow managed to get fired from my posh little job at the “highfalutin” golf course in Boca Raton. I never did get a good reason why I got the axe. But, like most setbacks, there was a silver lining that would reveal itself in due time. Besides, I needed to find something that was more career-orientated. At 29 years old my resume looked something like this:
- Truck driver.
- Independent Used Car Dealer.
- Autobody Repair Tech
- Jack of All Trades Master of None
- Degree from The School of Hard Knocks
I got a job working at an autobody shop since that seemed like the most logical thing to do at that point. I had my own tools and I landed a job the first day I was pounding the pavement. This place was a real hole in the ground though.
I came home every night and when I blew my nose I’d have all the green nasty bondo dust that was logged in my nostrils. My fingernails were lined with grease and it seemed like I could never get my hands clean.
I reminded myself of Pigpen on the Peanuts cartoon show. I was thinking I had to figure out something better. I got a hold of the Sunday Sun Sentinal and opened it up to the Jobs section.
Seemed like back then the job section alone was the size of the newspaper today. When I opened it up, it didn’t take long to figure out where a potential opportunity was. Car dealers had several pages looking for salespeople.
Time to Sell Cars
Even though I had a little used car operation, being a car salesperson never crossed my mind when I moved to Florida.
I had more of a blue-collar mentality than a white-collar one. In fact, when I went to go on job interviews I had to go buy some clothes. I interviewed at three stores. The first two were a joke.
The manager in one of the stores did like a “half-baked” interview behind his sales desk on the showroom floor. His first question was, “When can you start?” I was like, “What?” I didn’t know anything about interviewing and getting a job but I kinda knew that was a red flag.
The vibe in that store was negative and I told him I had a few other interviews and I’d let him know. The second place was a little better but not much. Then, I walked into a Honda dealer in Coral Springs. The first thing I noticed about that store was the positive, upbeat energy.
I felt good just being in there. The store was relatively new, everyone was dressed to a tee, and the Coral Springs area looked brand new. Talk about a potential transformation. Before I talked to anyone, I knew this was the place where I wanted to work. I think I interviewed with three different people. Two managers and one of the salespeople.
After all was said and done they told me that I needed to come back for a second interview. The General Sales Manager told me, “When you come back for a second interview make sure you’re dressed appropriately.” I was wearing a long-sleeved button-down shirt and corduroy pants with some old worn-out penny loafers. These guys were all wearing suits with custom-made French cuff shirts with their initials embroidered on the shirts.
Sin City II
I know Las Vegas is coined “Sin City,” but I’d call the Ft. Lauderdale area Sin City II. Before moving to Florida I was in a committed relationship for a good three years.
I got my “dream job” working at the Honda store, I was single and I was ready to mingle. I had some great friends that I left back in Flint, but I met some amazing people working at the Honda dealership.
We were all about the same age (aside from a couple of exceptions), single, and looking for women. LOL
When I lived in Flint I wasn’t a “Ladies man.” But when I started working at the Honda store, getting dressed up every day all that changed.
Just being in that store was like Match Dot Com for me. I had more dates than I had time to date. The drinking and partying were in control but out of control at the same time.
The Devils Workshop
Looking back at my time in South Florida I was in the Devil’s Workshop and nowhere close to the Kingdom of God. My motto back then was, “Do unto others, before they do unto you.”
I could have easily had the nickname, “Sin-ister.” For a while there I felt like I had won the lottery. I was on the highest of highs and life was amazing.
Conclusion
It’s amazing how fast things can change in one’s life. I went from living in an old, broken-down home in Flint with no real job, making next to nothing, to living in a new apartment with a new job and making more money in a few months than I made the entire year previously. Add in all the relationships, connections, the women, and I was in the eye of the hurricane of happiness.
The cover photo is compliments of www.wired.com.
