Mentor: Your Workplace Coach
From Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary:
1 capitalized : a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus’ son Telemachus
2 a : a trusted counselor or guide b : tutor, coach
Mary the Mentor and the Horn and Hardart Automat.
Everyone should be lucky enough to have a mentor at work. Someone who shows you the “ropes”, introduces you to associates, tells you the best places to eat and the ones to avoid. In short, someone you can always rely on to give you the truth and to give you a hand.
I remember my first mentor so vividly. Her name was Mary. She was at least 2 decades older than me, not unusual for me, because during my whole life/career, I realized that those I could learn the most from were the ones who had already made the uphill struggles, my older associates. Here I am, after 46 years of working life, and I still remember Mary. Why the long-lasting memory? Mary had no axe to grind, no office political agenda. She had a strong sense of order and wanted things to go well, including friendships. I wasn’t working there long — only a few months — when Mary urged me to apply for another position in the company — one that I had to be bonded for.
I had started as a file clerk – my first office job. Mary worked in another department — the room reserved for those trusted and respected employees who would handle cash, checks, and other valuables on a daily basis. It was a non-profit organization which sold rosary beads, small statues, and other religious items. I did get bonded and was hired to work in the room where thousands of envelopes arrived every day — donations and purchases, and sometimes bequeathals.
Mary taught me how to dress like a professional on a small salary, by buying in consignment shops such as 2nd Hand Rose. She introduced me to the Horn and Hardart cafeteria, where I could get a good lunch for very little money, and in very pleasant surroundings. She was a lifeline for me, giving me a connection to my workplace that never would have been as strong without her. May you all be as lucky as I was to have such a mentor. All my life, I attempted to emulate her and to pass it on to others.
Writing this made me wonder if there were pictures around of that historic automat and sure enough, there are. I’ve got to get this book. As an Amazon Affiliate, I suggest the following nostalgic history of Horn and Hardart:
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