title

Once upon a time……well, about 26 years ago, Poppy and I and our 2 daughters moved from the big city, Memphis, Tennessee, to a small town in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. I had worked most of my life, except when the girls were little. Well, our second daughter was nearing 4 and we decided that the best way to get to know the folks here was to go to work. So, not knowing any other way to find a job in a strange town, I went to the Arkansas Employment Office to find out what jobs were available to me. It was an experience I will never forget. I had never been to the Employment Office before.
I dressed carefully and took my updated, neatly typed resume and walked into the Employment Office fully expecting to have a job by the afternoon. I patiently waited my turn to be interview by the head Employment man, Elvis. ( I swear that was his name.) Elvis had a very good reputation around town for finding anyone a job. Everyone at Poppy’s work had told me that Elvis was who I needed to talk to. He seems like a nice man who knew his job and what jobs were available. Elvis conducted an in-depth interview about my extensive work history and what kind of employment I was interested in.
Then he told me what he thought.
“Ms. Granny, I have to tell you that in this area, with your work experience, you are, well, unemployable.”
UNEMPLOYABLE! UNEMPLOYABLE!!! I had worked my whole life. How could I be unemployable? When did this happen? Why hadn’t anyone ever told me this before? Elvis has just told me that I was incapable of being employed. So, being the gentle lady that I was, and being in total shock, I just smiled at him and asked him to explain to me exactly what he meant by the term ‘UNEMPLOYABLE’
He took off his glasses and looked at me with what I perceived as pity. (I would certainly pity anyone who was UNEMPLOYABLE.) Elvis explained to me that the job skills I had were not needed by any business or any company in our area. And every company or business in our area needed someone with job skills other than what I had. I just kept on smiling my polite smile.
Elvis then told me that there might be ONE company willing to train me in skills that they would need. So I keep smiling and say, “Oh wonderful.” What company would be generous enough to hire an unskilled person like I had just discovered that I was? Well, it was Levi’s. You know the blue jean makers Levi’s? So, since that was the only company that might be willing to take a chance on an UNEMPOLYABLE person, I head to Levi’s and visit with the head of the factory. Mr. Levi’s Boss told me he would train me to sew. Now, I had Home-Economics in high school just like every other female in school during the era I was in school. The last item I sewed was a skirt I made for motherhubbard when she was 3 years old. It was a light blue brushed denim skirt that motherhubbard, at her young age, refused to wear because it was so ugly. The hem was so crooked and the waistband was so puckered that a 3 year old refused to wear it!!!
Needless to say, I wasn’t really into sewing. So, I thanked Mr. Levi’s Boss and told him how much I appreciated him taking a chance on me, seeing how I was UNEMPOLYABLE and I did want a job. It was decided that I would report to work at the factory the next morning at 8 am to begin training. I’m sure it was the frozen smile that was on my face the whole time that impressed Mr. Levi’s Boss enough to take this chance on me.
So, I drive home, smiling all the way. I had found a job and I started the next morning…sewing Levi jeans. And, if I did enough “pieces” every week, I’d make just over minimum wage!! How lucky could an UNEMPOLYABLE girl be?
Well, I called Poppy at work to tell him the good news. Before I could explain about the job, I started crying. All I could tell him is that Elvis had told me I was UNEMPOLYABLE!! I’m sure he thought I had lost my mind! I was so upset that Poppy left work early to come home and see about me. I was absolutely devastated. I, who had worked most of my life, starting at the young age of 13, was UNEMPOLYABLE, and Elvis had told me this!!! Elvis no less.
Anyway, after several hours of consoling me and soothing my destroyed ego, Poppy finally got me to the point where I could discuss what I would do about being UNEMPOLYABLE and whether I really wanted to work at the Levi’s factory.
This was about the worse event of my working life. I was so depressed. I didn’t want to sew Levi jeans. I didn’t know anything about working in a factory. I’d never even been in a factory! So, before the Levi’s Boss left for the day, I called and explained that I had decided not to take him up on his offer of a job, although I truly appreciated the offer.
And that’s how our third child and only son came to be.
Unemployable maybe, but I sure could have pretty babies!!!