16 years ago it was a cool and a dark fall morning in the Willow Glen section of San Jose. I got up at 5:30 in the morning and dressed out. I was broke and barely paying rent. Both of my Triumph TR-7's were broken down and in the shop. My bicycle even had a flat tire. On my first day at work at Telewave, Inc. I was going to have to walk to work. I was thrilled at my starting salary of $38,000 per year. It seemed like a fortune. I left my apartment and walked several blocks to San Jose Diridon Station. I boarded a train heading for San Francisco. I got off at the Mountain View, California station. I walked several blocks in the dark to the two-building complex of Telewave, Inc. I reported to my new boss Bill. Like any company, I had to fill out a lot of paper work. I was taken to my desk and introduced to my co-workers including Dave Ramirez, Caje Remedios, Bob Fall, Clif Fraser, Bill Kubicki, Aces Dulos, Carlos Mendez, and Tom Chu. My first day was dull and uneventful. At the end of the shift at 3:30 PM, I walked back to the train station and took the train back to San Jose and walked to my apartment.
Eight years ago on this day in 2007, it was my last day at Telewave, Inc. Over those years I had sold some $13 million in telecommunications products all over the world. My only write-off had been $4,400. I had married Elena. We owned two houses and two nice cars. We were headed for a great retirement. My life had taken a dramatic change for the better. I was better off financially and had so much faith in myself because of what I had accomplished.
Telewave is still in business today as it has been since August 8, 1972. The job that I started that day 16 years ago made all of the difference in the world in my life. It was "the hand up" that I needed to get out of poverty.
There is an object lesson here. One job, regardless of how humble, can make all of the difference in the world in someone's life.
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