The Shaping of a Capitalist - Anita's Tale

Names have been changed for my own protection.

My first “real” job was in a distribution warehouse for a large pipe, valves and fittings company. Most of the employees were order-fillers, taking products off shelves and shipping them out. A huge office staff wasn’t necessary, so I was one of just a few. By “real” job, I mean a standard 40 hours per week with paid vacation. It didn’t pay much, but it didn’t bother me. I still had the illusion of possible advancement and the work was not unpleasant. The environment, however, was different.

Job duties changed. Management changed. These were not issues. The real challenge of working there was Anita. Anita was a little older than my other officemates and me. She hadn’t yet received the memo that you didn’t have to scheme to hold back other women anymore. More than one woman can now be on a board of directors. We can actually help each other. We don’t just get the coffee these days.

Additionally, Anita was intimidated that the receiving clerk and I had attended college. Obviously, we thought we were better than her due to our education. Mostly we tried to have as few dealings with her as possible and just stay out of her way.

It quickly became apparent that Anita delighted in our misfortunes. Walking into the office bright and chipper and saying “good morning” elicited a frown. Slinking in with downcast eyes got her attention immediately. She’d smile like Jaws (she got her teeth fixed later, but it was scary for a while) and be concerned at your unhappiness.

Anita was absolutely in her glory when others were miserable. Her favorite self-appointed duty was Thermostat Nazi. At first, I had some sympathy. She was menopausal and I understand the concept of hot flashes. But NO ONE sets a business thermostat at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. NO ONE. On the hottest days of the year (in Atlanta, GA), I wore a scarf at my desk. It’s not easy to use a PC with gloves on, but I managed. The colder it was, the bigger Anita’s smile.

At this point, Anita sounds like a real…er…witch. But here is where she deserves some credit for reinforcing my free market ideals. I came to have a greater understanding that her motive was envy. We were better-educated and had good teeth. She had barely been to high school and had a miscreant son that required his parents’ caretaking long past the start of adulthood. Our lives were fluid and hers was etched in stone. Because we were perceived as having more, we were to be punished.

This, today, is what our government is doing. The productive and successful among us have more. So they must be punished. They must pay a higher percentage of the money they EARN to help those that are neither productive nor successful. You can’t raise up the lazy among us by bringing down the motivated.

The day I realized Anita’s true feelings of hate and jealousy toward us was the day I noticed her shivering with cold. She was willing to endure privation and discomfort as long as others were equally uncomfortable. She was unwilling to empower herself in her personal life, so she chose to make our lives more difficult.

By the way, she hated the name “Anita.” Apparently, her husband had dated a girl of that name right before her. Naturally, I had to use it.