Better Fate Than Never

Better Fate Than Never

In High School our Principal was part owner in a bar that was located in a neighboring town.  He and a few of the staff would disappear around lunchtime.  It was of Valley Stream Central lore that they went to his bar for a few before reappearing in the afternoon.  I am not so sure this didn’t happen.  It would seem my guidance counselor returned from the bar long enough to influence my fate.  I was applying to 5 colleges.  He quickly scanned my paperwork, but his mind seemed preoccupied with happy hour.  He came across the application for Drexel.  He noted I did not pick a specific engineering field.  He glanced at my transcript and noticed I had taken a half-year of computers.  He said, “Lets check off Computer and Electrical Engineering”.  In retrospect he should have taken some time and discovered I should apply to be a Computer Science major.  But effort was not his forte.  Computer and Electrical Engineering would have nothing to do with Computers and ALL to do with Electrical Engineering.  Fate.

The courses for the first 2 years at Drexel for all non-business majors were the same.  I would not hit the core electrical engineering courses until my 3^rd year.  That year would be a struggle, but I managed to get through the first semester.  Even though I did not find Electrical Engineering to my liking, I decided I would bear down that following semester.  The main core course that semester was simply called Electrical Engineering II.  I had just barely gotten through Electrical Engineering I with the required grade to remain in my major.  The first 3 weeks of the new semester I did not miss a class.  Yeah, me.  Our teacher was of Indian heritage so I sat in the front row trying to decipher his every word.  The 4^th week was here and mid terms were rapidly approaching.  I was feverishly writing when a classmate next to me looked down at my notebook.  He inquired, “What the hell are you writing?”  I responded, “The professor keeps talking about Galactic Fields.  I write down everything he says but I can’t find ANYTHING in the text books that corresponds with this class!”  My fellow classmate chuckles, “Dude…that’s because he is saying ELECTRIC FIELDS, not GALACTIC FIELDS!”  With that, I closed my notebook, I got up in mid class and left the room, headed to the Dean of Students…and changed my major.  Fate.

I was a freshman in 1983 when Apple Computers initiated their University Program and initially signed up 24 colleges for their pilot program.  It would require all incoming freshman to purchase a Macintosh computer at a discounted price through Apple.  Drexel would be among the 24.  My first semester passed and we had yet to receive the computers from Apple.  1984 was now in full swing and still nothing.  Our floor gathered in late January to watch the Superbowl…when we all saw the famous Apple Ad.  Beers cans were tossed and boos resounded.  The following day we wanted to let our feelings known.  We created a 5 story banner and hung it out our dorm window.  It simply said in huge letters, “MACSHAFT”.  It made the Philadelphia Inquirer and the local TV news.  I guess both Drexel and Apple got the message.  Later that week it was announced we would receive the computers in March.  Better late than never.  Finally in the 3rd week of March we received our Apple Macintosh’s.  It would be the first time any one of us had seen a “Mouse”.  I watched as seemingly overnight the students ported their majors to their new machines.  Accounting majors with the spreadsheet application Multiplan (this would later become Excel), Art majors with the drawing application MacPaint, and I playing all the games I could find.  Through my time at Drexel I would become an Apple aficionado.  In those years, Apple Computer grew, and so did my knowledge of the platform.  By my senior year I was helping all I could transform their talents to the Mac.  Fate.

With the first few years of my transcript dance card filled with basic engineering courses, there were only a few options for a new major that would not require another 4 years.  I filled the back end with business courses to round out a degree in a new and upcoming field, Industrial Engineering.  If you recall, Drexel provided the cooperative job experience and you have to put in a certain amount of time doing so.  The majority of which for me was at the Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia.  I would graduate with an Industrial Engineering degree with a working background in the Defense Department.  “Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall.”  And with those words my education and work experience were rendered useless.  The Cold War had come to an end…and so did the need for defense spending.  The market crash of 1987 was bad enough.  Now the defense layoffs of 1989 would make finding a job in my field near impossible.  The Navy Yard in Philly was even closing, so they could not hire me even if they wanted to.  However, I was able to connive my way in the door to several defense contracting companies and Eaton Corporation on Long Island was among them.  My friends marveled I was able to score an interview there.  It was a full day event with a printed out plan.  I passed with flying colors only to find out they would offer the job to a Grumman engineer with 10 years experience willing to take a lower salary.  Fate.

I needed something, so I expanded my horizons.  I had applied for engineering management jobs with LILCO (now called LIPA) and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Port Authority.  The interviews went well, but they both thought I was over qualified for the job.  It was the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Port Authority interview that would stick in my mind.  Their offices were located in a non descript building on Randall’s Island.  I remember approaching it not knowing if I had the right place.  A single guard in a chair inside the big doors informed me I was.  It would be 8 years before I would see that building again…and not in person.  In the movie Men in Black, Will Smith goes on an interview after chasing down an alien on foot and impressing Tommy Lee Jones.  It is the very same Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Port Authority building I had entered years ago.  Smith enters not knowing if he has the right place and asks the guard at the door.  It is eerily similar to my actions the day I interviewed there.  Hmmm, no wonder I did not get the job…I am not quite “Men in Black” material.  Then again maybe I did…I seem to be missing parts of 1989.  Eventually I found an ad in Newsday for a Data Entry position on the Macintosh.  It was right in Valley Stream so there would be minimal commuting costs.  I had to get my foot in somewhere so I applied for the job.  After working there a few months, the owner called me into the office.  He wanted to let me know the manager who runs the computer system was leaving and if I would like to take the job.  The owner had noticed I had a knack for the Mac even though my degree did not match.  I was unsure I could handle the new responsibility however I immediately accepted.  Fate.

After 2 years at this job my degree was getting further and further away in the rear view mirror.  I decided it was time to take my career to the next level.  I dove back into the classifieds.  It was 1992 and spring had sprung.  It is the season for weddings galore…and I would be attending one that upcoming Saturday.  The reception was in New Jersey and the girl I was seeing had to work that day.  I would be going solo.  There were rooms booked at the hotel for us to stay overnight.  I behaved alcohol-wise so I decided I would return late that night.  I pleasantly surprised my girl early the next morning.  She was happy I could now travel with her to her brother’s house for Sunday brunch.  I asked if she could drive, as I had all I could handle getting back from New Jersey the night before.  As she stopped for gas, I darted into the station to grab a Newsday.  It was here I would find an ad for a Macintosh Systems Administrator for the North Shore Animal League.  It would be the only ad they would ever place for the job.  Had I not returned from New Jersey that night, I may never have picked up a Newsday the following day.  Fate.

It would seem I finally found a home.  In the 13 years that would follow I would go from Systems Administrator, to IT Manager, to Director of IT.  I was being groomed for CIO, even attending a meeting among the Non Profit elite in DC.  That meeting was in June of 2005…I would be gone by December.  A change in regime and the writing was on the wall.  I renewed my resume and a recruiter responded.  He vehemently persuaded me to interview for his job opening.  I balked but he made me reconsider.  I chose the only day I could to pull away from my job to interview.  I did not know it would be the last day they would be doing so.  They were all ready to offer the job to someone else, until they held their last interview.  Me.

Fate.