The Gift

By the sounds of the title of this week’s blog you’d imagine that I have been bestowed with a wonderful gift or better still that I had provided an amazing gift for someone close to me.  I’ll let you be the judge on that one.

This story begins at the end of University, January 1980 (inside voice please!) to be precise I'd recently graduated and although the ceremony wasn't until April we were considered eligible and qualified to begin teaching.  The complicating factor to all this was that all of the teaching jobs were managed centrally via a single state education department who made all public school teacher appointments.  New teachers were assigned based on when existing teachers either resigned or retired and for whatever reason at the time there was few of either, hence the glut of trained teachers in Australia during the early 1980's.

Casablanca - the Classic

In essence your name went onto the central appointment list, your position on the list was dictated based on your final marks…no surprise that my name was considerably down the list (not quite at the bottom thank you but I could definitely see the bottom from where I was). J Clearly, I don't have to tell you that I wasn't the best student nor did I receive the highest scores, but that being said it was an amazing and unforgettable experience which I cherish to this day!

In fact now when I reflect back on the time between finishing University and getting a job it sort of makes me feel like the introduction to the movie Casablanca, “but the others…wait…and wait…and wait” (okay this part you have to do with a deep and resonating 1940’s voice over), but you get my drift.

Yes folks I was waiting for my number to come up and I remember thinking to myself, so what happens if I’m not offered a job?   An epiphany by any other name…and no, my middle name is not “Sherlock”. 

Hence, with my summer job about to end on the farm I decided that I’d just have to find myself a job, no if’s and’s or but’s.   There was no way I was moving back home and that was final!

So that night after work I called my friend Heather in Melbourne from the phone box in Clunes and asked if I could come and stay with her and her family while I looked for a job.  Graciously, as always, they accepted my freeloading without hesitation and so that next weekend I set off to find work in the “big smoke”.

Melbourne looking along South Bank toward Princes Bridge

I had a simple plan really, take my resume and go and knock on as many doors as I could until someone gave me a job - foolproof really.  With a major in Physical Education the logical choice was to start with Health & Fitness Clubs.  I distinctly remember looking in the phone book that Sunday night prior to my job search to get a list of Fitness Centers (remember prior to the internet) then next morning literally going door to door.   Fortunately for me I have a rather high tolerance for rejection, or at least I did in those days – I guess I was just “young and motivated”.

Late the first day I distinctly remember visiting the Lifestyle Health & Fitness Center on Springvale Road and asking the receptionist if there was any job opening.  As chance would have it the owner of the fitness club chain was also standing at reception that day and invited me in for an impromptu interview then and there.

He went through all of the regular interview questions, before explaining to me that he had just acquired the new Nautilus fitness franchise and was looking to develop and build a number of high-end fitness clubs across the city equipped with the latest and revolutionary fitness equipment from the United States.  

At the end of our conversation he offered me a trial job, the deal was that I was to work in three different clubs over three days in various parts of the city and if, at the end of that time all three club managers liked me he would bring me on full time, but if they didn't then he would be under no obligation to pay me for the three days that I'd worked.

I jumped at the chance, especially given my work ethic and ability to learn quickly on my feet, I was both excited and never for one moment doubted that by the end of the week I wouldn't have a new full time job - it just didn't enter my psyche. Next morning I met him at the club where he interviewed me and he put me to work immediately under the guidance of the club manager Peter Townsend.  

1980's Nautilus Fitness Center - just love
the green equipment

The next morning I was to be across the city in the Western suburbs at the Lifestyle Fitness club in Altona.  This area of Melbourne is better know for its Petrochemical storage and distribution centers than for its affinity with fitness clubs, however that didn’t stop me from being there "bright eyed and bushy tailed" early the next morning. I was super keen, and as you can imagine very enthusiastic about the opportunity so I really worked hard each of the first two days.  Alan dropped into the club late in the day to meet with Margaret the manager to discuss my progress.  

Alan was always very easy to spot as he drove a brand new yellow Jaguar, which in those days was very expensive and so quite rare.  I remember noticing him when he came into the club and after a short meeting with Margaret came over toward me, as he approach he put his hand out, smiled and said, “welcome aboard”.  In my naivety my response was “but I haven’t finished the trial yet” at which he laughed and said that they’d all seen enough and that I could start next week full time. 

Over the course of the next year I worked for Alan and his chain of Fitness Clubs in various roles and at various locations across the city before my name finally got called for a teaching position.  

The year spent in Melbourne was memorable on a few fronts, not only did I fall on my feet and get a great job out of school through my persistence and hard work but , I fell in love for the first time…thank you Rosanna and then had my heart broken…again, thank you Rosanna. J   No seriously it was an amazing year and I realized then and there that I was destined for a big city life!

The life lesson I've taken from this is that “no-one is going to just give you what you want in life, you have to take risks and truly believe in yourself then just go for it”. 

The "gift" was a self realization that a little tenacity mixed with a good measure of self belief and a splash of resilience was the perfect recipe for success.   

What do you think?