Maybe Amazing Things Will Happen

Maybe it's her daughters birthday. Maybe these blueprints belong to an amazing new building. Maybe she is getting a divorce. Maybe he is copying a resume. Maybe she is frustrated with her insurance company. Maybe they are ordering wedding announcements. Maybe his flash drive has files I would rather not open. Maybe he lost his house. Maybe this book is worth more than the copy machine. Maybe they have a mailbox here just for social interaction. Maybe they don't like the social interaction. Maybe they won't make any money off this. Maybe they will make a lot. Maybe they are from out of town. Maybe they thought that this color copy would be a lot cheaper.


Beyond these papers, boxes, flash drives, faxes, documents and e-mails, I cannot help but wonder where these people are from and who they are. How did they get this picture, why do they need a copy or what is in this box? How did they end up with this many receipts and why do they need a copy of every single one?
If you have been working in copy centers at least as long as I have, you will know that strange and even some off color stuff can pop up in boxes, flash drives and even regular copies. Making a normal copy is just as exciting as making one on Monday morning as it is on Friday Evening. The box is just as heavy weather you ship USPS or FedEx. Not everyone is the same...sometimes, you can tell a lot about a person by the fax you send or the blueprint you make. I hate charging someone for sending resumes. No one sends resumes because they like too. Plus, resume paper is the most spendy...(non-coated, text-weight) paper there is. Ugh. The copy world is a very promotional business. "Our business helps your business" sorta thing. So I see a lot of ugly looking promotions. (Not what we design! Always customer original artwork). But when I see ugly promotions or flyers I long to sit with the customer and say...

'Well Bill, it looks like you gotta a great promotion going on here. But the Impact font and the default clip art (that every one has) is going to be a flyer that ends up in the trash.'

But before that happens, Bill says this.

I would like 2,000 (very ugly) color copies of this flyer.
In which case I frantically and most excitingly say:

"No problem!!! When would you like them and I will make that happen!"

I treat him like a king, and his wish is my command.

My plans are normal. I don't plan to work with copies forever. One day I will go to college, fall in love, get married and start a family. Have talented kids, go to work. Come home and have dinner. Grow old, play scrabble with my wife. Invite the grandkids over. Of course, this is ideal. And I'm not the one too decide exactly how everything happens in my life.

Maybe she really does not want to make these copies. Maybe she didn't want any of this to happen but the court needs the paperwork anyways. Maybe this is a sad copy. Maybe this package he is sending is cute and romantic. Maybe it contains love notes and sorts of gushy stuff. Maybe this is a happy package. And then the customer pays and leaves. And thats that. A small little social interaction and he leaves. And then I get home and take of the blue polo and look in the mirror. Not in really a sad way, but more thoughtful... more pensive. Maybe he had a great day at work. Maybe work was more stressful and busy than he wanted it to be. Maybe his legs still hurt from running that same morning. Maybe he forgot to call a customer about their completed
order.

However.
Maybe he loved his job. Maybe he loved where he worked. Maybe he thinks his co-workers are hilarious. Maybe he will know that this was a tough job to leave. Maybe, now, he will have way more blue polos than he will ever need. Maybe it was the best job he has ever had so far. Maybe he was starting to get used to the nick name "Jay - Rizzie". Maybe he is so thankful that he had such a perfect job for him right before he left for a different country.

Weather you hate your job, love it, are looking for one, just quit one, just got fired from one, or started your own job, one thing is for sure. Work hard.

A quote by Conan 'O Brien appropriately comes to mind:

"If you work really hard, and you're kind, amazing things will happen."