“THEY” Cripple Society Volume 1: Who are “THEY” and how do they do it? An Expose in True to Life Narrative Exploring Stories of Discrimination. Cleon E. Spencer
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as we continue through our discussions. In the meantime, in the department of my first year, I did make some enemies because of these favorable attributes, if I may say so without sounding conceited or presumptuous.”
Collin cut in, “that is something a person like you always has to be careful of when you make an honest assessment of yourself, isn’t it, Donna? I mean being careful not to be accused of conceit or presumption.”
“Oh yes indeed, Collin,” said Donna, “there is always someone ready to accuse people like us of that. However, in this group I feel free to express my thoughts without restraint.”
“That is good, Donna,” interjected Dr. Eldren. “It is sometimes very difficult to make an objective assessment of one’s own experiences, but you are doing well. I think if we all keep in mind that the more open and objective we are in our analysis of ourselves and each other, the more beneficial it will be to our learning experience.”
“Well,” said Donna, “I think I am being objective and factual in stating that my enemies were made because of my good work.” She then quipped with a nervous smile, “Of course, Dr. Eldren, I made many friends there too, so I wouldn’t want you to think I came out of there paranoid or with delusions of grandeur or persecution.”
“No such thought entered my mind Donna,” Dr. Eldren replied, “feel at ease and continue.”
Donna continued with her story. “It was there in the year one department, as I will call it, that my semi-awareness began to grow into a more complete awareness. There I learned the art of maneuvering among and coping with the many and varied personalities one finds in life’s experiences. In semi-awareness I had been led into a mind-set that made me feel I was to be an underdog anyway, and just grin and bear it. I thought then that if I just plodded through in a somewhat stoic manner, I would in the end average out a good distance up the ladder. But now, on my way through year one, all that changed.
“There were a few newly made friends who dared to befriend me regardless of the hostilities of some others. Also, there was my supervisor with her absolute fairness, and her appreciation of myself and my work. This led me to break out of my youthfully formed mind-set, to begin my years of awakening and growing. Why this awakening didn’t happen to me in school is a matter of speculation. Of course I was older now, and that was a contributing factor. I rather think it came about in year one at work, because there I was in an entirely adult situation. Among adults both friendship and unfriendliness are more pronounced, and people are more openly reactive to my response to their overtures of either friendliness or unfriendliness. This made it easier for me to discern and know who was my true friend and who was not, and how to react to, even utilize friendship, in an ethical manner of course.”
Collin asked, “did you have more time to contemplate these things now Donna, even dwell on them for periods?”
“Yes, -yes,” replied Donna. “During my school days, I recall now, it was the custom to brush all troubles aside so as to participate in and enjoy extra-curricular activities or to do home work. Now that I was working, I often had some evenings of inactivity. As I watched television, or read, or did some craft work or helped around the house, there was time to reflect, to think, even to dwell at times on the activities and happenings of the day. This certainly was a contributing factor to my awareness, and a tremendous aid in the process of my growth, provided I didn’t let it bog me down. To be active in the world, with ones feet planted firmly on the ground, and to have not too little, nor too much time, to meditate on life’s experiences as they happen is, I would say, an invaluable aid to growth and development.”
“So getting back to my story,” continued Donna, as she stirred herself to new thoughts evidenced by her stirring herself in her chair, “year one was a learning year. I came through it well, but I owe a great deal to my supervisor. She realized that some other employees discriminated against me mostly by their attitudes. There was little she could say, but she very graciously counteracted these attitudes by openly befriending me in front of them, by taking time to pause and talk a minute or two with me on occasion. This was always in sight of them, but often not within their hearing distance, just to show support for me, and to keep them at bay. She did this for some others too. It seems her policy was to show open support for the better employees in this manner which she had developed very skillfully. I will always remember her as a very helpful and kind lady whom, may I say with truthful modesty, appreciated better type people.”
“At the end of year one, on her recommendation, I was promoted to a more senior and larger department. Now, having been awakened from my semi-awareness, I was to have opportunity for experiences that would make me fully aware indeed of the harsh realities that exist for people like me in the realm of life out in the market place.”
“I was placed in charge of a section of work that had previously been poorly organized and carelessly carried out,” Donna related. “This isn’t just my summation of the situation. It was generally felt in the department that there were things gone wrong with the overall efficiency of what was now to be my section. It would now be my responsibility under the supervision of a department supervisor and assistant supervisor.
“As often happens in industry, I was given only a vague introduction to my work, its general structure, and how it is to relate to other work sections in the department. From there one finds the way partly by asking others, such as the supervisor, or those to whose section certain aspects of your work relates. But most of all the way is found simply by digging in and figuring things out for yourself and building on the preliminary introduction. This method one accepts as a norm.
“So, I dug in - challenged, eager and anticipating. As I look back now I still agree there was a challenge beyond a doubt. But as for my eagerness and anticipation, they would over the three year period I spent there, become largely dulled and disillusioningly unrewarded.
“My particular work within the department was designated a job to be handled by one person. However, it seemed that, in the recent past at least, one person could never keep up with the work load. So at periods when it was crucial that the work be more up to date, temporary help was brought in from outside the corporation.
“In a brief and broad outline, I will describe the work as consisting basically of receiving from the billing department a copy of billings going out to numerous customers across the country, and recording them. Also receiving records of payment of accounts by customers. Breaking these payments down and particularly keeping record of the various taxes collected for the different levels of government. Also separating shipping charges for a variety of products, as well as payment for products from other branches of our corporation. By the way, this was at a time before the corporation had computerized this part of its operations. Records were kept and requisitions were issued for either payment of accounts, or transfer of money or credits to other branches or departments as the case may be. This was to be my work. And I recognized it as being a job vital to the well being of the corporation.
“Also I soon recognized that my predecessor on this job had not taken her work seriously. The system was sloppily cared for; records so carelessly entered that a person other than the one who did the work could at times scarcely decipher the nature of the transaction or the date it took place. In time, it also became noticeable to me that many transactions were not recorded at the proper time. Postings were sometimes omitted for a period. Then caught up on later. These items could all be accounted for in time, no doubt, but as it was they now lay in a jumble in the drawers of the desk I had inherited for the job. This caused delays in the corporations financial transactions. Delays cost money. In addition, the system was poorly organized. If there was any chance at all of keeping up with the work load there would have to be changes to the routine. With the procedure streamlined, I felt, then the thousand and one items requiring special attention would be reduced to a minimum.”
As Donna spoke now, her glowing expression seemed to indicate deep satisfaction with her accomplishment in re-organizing the system of her vital work section.
“I was purposely cautious at first,” she continued, “but as I learned more assuredly the details of my job, I began to point out to the department’s assistant supervisor the deficiencies in both the system and its implementation. Also,