By Diane J.

I have to tell you quickly about the conversation I just had with my "Saturday boss" here at this very boring phone job that I've had for a few weeks to try to get out of debt (laugh). I was "golden girl" this morning--showed up, unlike 2 of the other people scheduled, had arranged my schedule to cover hours next week, got my calls made, hit my quota. Had spotted, in her office, Web screen obviously up on computer. Went in to cover the office phone for lunch as arranged and asked, rather timidly, "Could I use that to do some web mail?"

"Sure, sure--it's a flat fee account anyway." Yippee! Open my mail. Screen after screen of [SOSmail]-headed messages that I haven't gotten to in two days. Rapture.

"Is that a mailing list or something? What's that?"

Oh shit. She hasn't left yet. Oh SHIT....

"What?" (Great response, Diane....)

"That. SOSMail....." pointing over my shoulder.

Ummmmm...oh no. Ummm.... Save Our Souls, Ralph reed's new group? Sell Out Successfully, the mailing list for greedy Yuppies? ...Ummm...what the fuck, I hate this job anyway......

"It stands for Secular Organizations for Sobriety." That oughta kill THIS conversation...

Look of concern and then lightbulb. "I had an alcoholic boyfriend once. Do you have one too?"

Oh GAWD....yeah, that's IT, I'm little Florrie Nightingale trying to stand by mah man...nah, I've never done this before and I got this far...

"Ummm...actually, I belong to it."

Clunk. Hey, you know, I can quit right NOW, I don't have to wait till you come back from lunch...

"Oh." Pause. "How did you find out--you know?"

Ummmm...well, the DTs were kind of a clue? Ummmm...well, when they locked me up for 'treatment', I guessed...ummmm...

"You figure it out."

"Oh." Look of sad puzzlement. "You know, he was a really nice guy, I mean, he was really great.... but he just couldn't stop drinking, you know?"

Oh yeah. I know.

"Do you go to AA meetings and stuff?"

Deep breath. "No, I didn't like AA. That's why I joined SOS."

"He used to go to meetings, but he just couldn't stop drinking." Shaking head. "But he was a really nice guy. Hey, I kind of put you on the spot, I'm sorry, forget it, OK?"

"OK."

"I'll be back at 1:30 and you have the new survey forms ready, OK?"

"OK, thanks."

Wow. So I still have the stupid job (which means I gotta go collate the survey forms now). Hey, I actually told somebody the truth and the sky didn't fall in. What an interesting universe this has turned out to be.... (laugh)

But thank you everyone again for being there. I don't think I'll forget the look on her face as she kept repeating, "he was a really nice guy....". Or the really nice guy whose name I don't even know who kept going to the meetings and drinking...

Thanks. Many thanks for being there.