Chapter 6 First Steps
One Friday Theresa got a call from a local radio station asking if she would be interested in some part time work. She was, but she had just failed the FCC exam and didn't have a third class license yet. She was told to come in for an interview after school on that Monday. She couldn't wait to get home and tell her mom, who asked the question "what are you going to wear?" Theresa had no idea, she searched through her closet and then she and her mom went shopping. One of the things they bought was a coat. That Monday she dressed in a dark blue corduroy jumper and a white blouse and her coat and went for the interview. She was nervous as she climbed the steps and wondered was this a different job than what she had applied for last summer. Her job with Terri would end in a matter of two weeks. When she went to the office , they gave her an application to fill out and she did, and when she was finished she was interviewed by the program manager. He was someone she had listened to on air. He asked the usual questions and then asked her to read some copy. She was nervous, but she assured him that she could do the job. He took the chance and hired her saying that she would have to get her endorsement from the FCC. Theresa was excited, and he told her to come in the following evening a few hours for training. He gave her a quick tour of the station . She was very excited.
She told her mother and grandmother she had the job. Her grandmother used to work for someone who ran the station in the 1940's and 50's. Everyone was excited. Theresa went to school the next day and told Mr. Collins she had the job. Her first days were training days working from 6PM to 9PM. Learning the equipment, reading the logs and seeing what went on. The next day she came after school and stayed for a while and ran some of the equipment. This went on the next week and she went on by herself the following Thursday. That Thursday she got to work at 5:30PM. She didn't want to be late, she wanted to ask questions and find the programs she needed. She came in and saw someone that worked at the place where she interned that summer, he had switched jobs and then the classmate from high school. They wished her well.
Her first night on the religious station went smooth, except, there was a program that came from the Studio B she couldn't get on the air. She find out later that someone had went into the Studio and switched the microphones off. She got most of the tapes programs on and about ten thirty she got sleepy. The program didn't help, she walked over to the other studio to look around for a few minutes. At eleven her friend Dusty came in. Was she glad to see him. They talked as she got the other programs going and things set up for the next shift. Theresa realized that the training that she had received wasn't great, and if she trained someone, they would know everything that they needed to know before going on a shift by themselves. This would get her in trouble in later years.
The Saturday shift was quite busy. Lots of people coming to do their programs. It is still one of the busiest shifts there. There was music to play, records and cassettes and very busy. The first shift Theresa wore what she would wear to school. She had a jean jumpsuit and one of the women made a comment about her being dressed as a boy. Her reply was "I'm a girl and I wear this to school." The people were very old time holiness people. Theresa was a church girl, but wearing pants and things was never brought up. There were a couple of programs she couldn't find, so she played music one of them called and she explained that she was new and was still looking for it. The guy who worked in the mail room looked as well and couldn't find it. Another problem that wasn't funny, she asked where the restroom was and they said it was locked she would have to go to the gas station at the corner. Theresa waited they started preaching and ran down the steps got the key at the gas station and went. This was a hard day for Theresa, some of the people were nice and some were mean. It was amazing to her how they would just quit shouting when they went off of the air. When the shift was over she was exhausted. Someone came up and said "Your grandmother is waiting for you downstairs". When the person came to relieve her she left and her grandmother was waiting to give her a ride home. She didn't have to work the Sunday shift, but she had to go to Terri's that night because she was on call. She got some things together and since Terri was there she got a book and went upstairs and went to sleep. Terri got called out later that night.
The first days on a job are always hard, with equipment that didn't work properly, people who trained others in a hurry , because they wanted off of the shift or didn't want to be bothered with you in the first place. Things that just didn't make since. Theresa had wanted to be in radio, but now was unsure if that was a wise decision. Maybe she could use this as a means to pay her way through college... She just wasn't sure. This was out of her comfort zone, there were things that she had been taught in church was the opposite of what she had seen at the radio station.
Theresa knew she had to pass the FCC exam, so that she could keep the job and maybe go to college. She wanted to go to a four year college, but she didn't want to leave home. As it was the job at Terri's finally ended. She was asked if she could be a backup sitter in case the nurse had to work and Theresa agreed. It was a fairly easy way to make some money. Theresa had started stashing her money in a cookie jar and now she finally had enough to open up a bank account. The Thursday nights were easy and fun. Especially if the weather got bad. The kids would call the station asking for school information and we would transfer them around to different ones working and finally in frustration the kid would just hang up. One Thursday night when her dad picked her up, he said that there was a van stuck in the yard and told Theresa that the man in it was asking for her, did she know him. As it turned out it was a classmate of Theresa's who had gotten drunk and came to call on her. Strange... The Saturdays got somewhat better, the bathroom issue was still there and what Theresa would do would wait around and then go use the men's while no one was looking. She began to get the hang of things....
She told her mother and grandmother she had the job. Her grandmother used to work for someone who ran the station in the 1940's and 50's. Everyone was excited. Theresa went to school the next day and told Mr. Collins she had the job. Her first days were training days working from 6PM to 9PM. Learning the equipment, reading the logs and seeing what went on. The next day she came after school and stayed for a while and ran some of the equipment. This went on the next week and she went on by herself the following Thursday. That Thursday she got to work at 5:30PM. She didn't want to be late, she wanted to ask questions and find the programs she needed. She came in and saw someone that worked at the place where she interned that summer, he had switched jobs and then the classmate from high school. They wished her well.
Her first night on the religious station went smooth, except, there was a program that came from the Studio B she couldn't get on the air. She find out later that someone had went into the Studio and switched the microphones off. She got most of the tapes programs on and about ten thirty she got sleepy. The program didn't help, she walked over to the other studio to look around for a few minutes. At eleven her friend Dusty came in. Was she glad to see him. They talked as she got the other programs going and things set up for the next shift. Theresa realized that the training that she had received wasn't great, and if she trained someone, they would know everything that they needed to know before going on a shift by themselves. This would get her in trouble in later years.
The Saturday shift was quite busy. Lots of people coming to do their programs. It is still one of the busiest shifts there. There was music to play, records and cassettes and very busy. The first shift Theresa wore what she would wear to school. She had a jean jumpsuit and one of the women made a comment about her being dressed as a boy. Her reply was "I'm a girl and I wear this to school." The people were very old time holiness people. Theresa was a church girl, but wearing pants and things was never brought up. There were a couple of programs she couldn't find, so she played music one of them called and she explained that she was new and was still looking for it. The guy who worked in the mail room looked as well and couldn't find it. Another problem that wasn't funny, she asked where the restroom was and they said it was locked she would have to go to the gas station at the corner. Theresa waited they started preaching and ran down the steps got the key at the gas station and went. This was a hard day for Theresa, some of the people were nice and some were mean. It was amazing to her how they would just quit shouting when they went off of the air. When the shift was over she was exhausted. Someone came up and said "Your grandmother is waiting for you downstairs". When the person came to relieve her she left and her grandmother was waiting to give her a ride home. She didn't have to work the Sunday shift, but she had to go to Terri's that night because she was on call. She got some things together and since Terri was there she got a book and went upstairs and went to sleep. Terri got called out later that night.
The first days on a job are always hard, with equipment that didn't work properly, people who trained others in a hurry , because they wanted off of the shift or didn't want to be bothered with you in the first place. Things that just didn't make since. Theresa had wanted to be in radio, but now was unsure if that was a wise decision. Maybe she could use this as a means to pay her way through college... She just wasn't sure. This was out of her comfort zone, there were things that she had been taught in church was the opposite of what she had seen at the radio station.
Theresa knew she had to pass the FCC exam, so that she could keep the job and maybe go to college. She wanted to go to a four year college, but she didn't want to leave home. As it was the job at Terri's finally ended. She was asked if she could be a backup sitter in case the nurse had to work and Theresa agreed. It was a fairly easy way to make some money. Theresa had started stashing her money in a cookie jar and now she finally had enough to open up a bank account. The Thursday nights were easy and fun. Especially if the weather got bad. The kids would call the station asking for school information and we would transfer them around to different ones working and finally in frustration the kid would just hang up. One Thursday night when her dad picked her up, he said that there was a van stuck in the yard and told Theresa that the man in it was asking for her, did she know him. As it turned out it was a classmate of Theresa's who had gotten drunk and came to call on her. Strange... The Saturdays got somewhat better, the bathroom issue was still there and what Theresa would do would wait around and then go use the men's while no one was looking. She began to get the hang of things....
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