Sometimes they are the people you least expect
Penny Sisley
Dec 2, 2020·4 min read
At fourteen, two years out of a broken home, my new boss looked at me with a twinkle in her eyes. I had a part-time work permit from high school, and ran in my 80’s pumps everyday to catch the 12:05 Golden Gate to get there. I was running away from my old life, trying hard to fit into a new one.
I found myself surrounded by good adults with regular lives. No drugs, no hostility, and no manipulation, just people earning a living doing the best they could. Mondays were my favorite. That’s when everyone shared the fun things they did on weekends with the people they loved. They had challenges, but none of it put them in jail, and no one got beat up.
Sylvia, my new boss, showed me the ropes: how to file, use my typing skills, answer the phone, use a copier, and gently, how to dress. She gave me high quality suits she no longer needed, and...