1971

When the curmudgeon first went to work, there were the engineers, and the girls - secretaries, clerks and stuff.  In certain departments, when the female clerk would climb up a step stool to retrieve a file, pencils would hit the floor magically so the men could bend down to pick them up with hopes of looking up her dress.  No joke.


The curmudgeon's sainted wife, in a job interview, actually witnessed her potential boss slowly push his pencil holder off his desk, waiting for a view (quite worthy, I must point out), of her bending down to pick it up.

Then there was payday.  The curmudgeon had immediately signed up for electronic payments.  These guys, no.  The Wells Fargo guys, armed to the teeth, would roll in a thingie filled with cash and take checks and give out cash.


Here's my point - there were guys who would proudly go home that night, hand their wives the household budget money, and simply pocket the rest.  She needn't be troubled by what he actually earned.


1971 was one really weird learning experience.