I don’t know if I told this story here but it’s so long ago now I’ll even use names. But I worked with a crazy lady when I first got out of college. She was hell. But she taught me an important lesson or two. One. Never go behind doors without a witness.
When this woman cussed my 25 year old ass in the smoothest whisper and then told me nobody would believe me because they didn’t hear… wild
And so by the time I had learned Jean was a tyrant it was far too late.
One day Al, the company president comes up to me. Mid 50s white guy. I liked Al a lot. Al starts talking to me about Jam Rock. Said he loves him Nas and Damien Marley. We get into a conversation about bootlegging and he’s like nah, we pay for media here, and he wanted me to cop him the cd legit.
Anyways Al tells me he’s gonna take me under his wing. And I need to get my passport. I told him I had one. And he said he’s going on a turn around trip to Calgary with John and then when he gets back to get a coat. He’s gonna start taking me with him on the trips.
So that was a Monday. Tuesday he leaves. Wednesday he gets home.
Has dinner with his wife, Valentine’s Day, has a heart attack and dies. We find out Thursday. John walks in late that day. Again he just got back from a turn around trip to Calgary. I personally break the news to him and he is DISTRAUGHT. He just flew to Canada and back with this man. And that fucks him up. So Jean goes and talks to Carolyn and she’s PISSED. Quote “And John doesn’t want to work today because over there pretending to be upset about Al” … I walked out of the office
Friday we closed office. Monday was a holiday. Tuesday we put Al in the ground, Jewish people get buried quickly?
Wednesday we’re back in the office. Wednesday Pedro (older engineer) has a seizure in the office. Just falls out. I saw them trying to calm him. He didn’t make it to the hospital.
Jean … upset about the work distraction.


My first professional job out of college. I was 25/26. I’ve never let these learnings go. They are foundational to me.