Opened Our Hearts

First Impression

Arriving back from my vacation, my manager informed me he had good news: he had hired an assistant for me. After asking many times for additional help, I was delighted he finally realized I needed some support. I supervised a busy rental department. Every morning, as soon as our doors opened for business, our lobby was filled with customers—some patiently and others impatiently—waiting for their turns.

This particular morning, I anxiously waited for my new assistant to arrive. Eventually, a person who looked like he was planning to audition for Disco Night Fever at the local college walked up to the counter and introduced himself as Ron, my new assistant. I could not believe my eyes or my ears. Everyone who worked at this office was on the conservative side. He certainly did not fit the company’s profile. Ron had a mustache and long wiry reddish-brown hair. He wore an iridescent-aqua polyester shirt with the first two buttons open, tight black bell-bottoms, and black platform shoes. His attire happened to be in style and appropriate—if he was going to a disco, not the workplace.

I asked Ron to have a seat while I hurried up the stairs to have a discussion with my manager, Cliff. Smiling at my apprehension, he said, “Give him a chance; Ron is a great guy. He will grow on you. You’ll see.” Disappointed by Cliff’s response, I slowly walked back downstairs to work with my new assistant.

Talk about judging a book by its cover! Sadly, I did not want to give Ron a chance based solely on his appearance. However, I had tremendous respect for Cliff and for his judgment; accordingly, I tried to be open-minded about his new hire. After all, Cliff was trying to help me by giving me an assistant. The least I could do was give his new hire the benefit of the doubt.

Working together made life interesting to say the least. Just coming from college, Ron was not yet ready to conform to the corporate world, and he lived a life quite different from my own. I was business minded, and spent most of my leisure time with family and working on crafts. We had nothing in common.

He knew I frowned on his choice of office attire and asked me to help him pick out appropriate clothes for the workplace. Transforming him into what I believed was a suitable look in the business world back then was a feat I thoroughly enjoyed.

Surprisingly, Ron and I ended up working well together. Our differences actually complemented each other. Although his tactics were sometimes atypical, he proved to have good business acumen and excellent customer service skills—a real people pleaser. His zest for life made the work-day go faster. I found myself fascinated by his stories—whether he was sharing tales of his college antics or his current lifestyle. With his life being so the opposite from mine, I could listen to him for hours. Amazingly, I started to see Ron in a different light; I considered him proud, self-confident, and enjoyable to be around. Our relationship turned into a wonderful friendship.

I should have realized he wanted to be more than friends when he agreed to have his hair cut and permed by my stylist—turning his new do into a curly afro. During the late seventies, the curly perm was popular for men and women—hard to believe even for me! I wore my hair in a similar perm only a longer version. Looking back at any photos of us with those crazy hairstyles makes us laugh. We both looked ridiculous. Though at the time, Ron seemed pleased with his new look and the extra time we spent together. I found myself enjoying our time, too.

Not too long after, we started dating. Experts say opposites attract, and in our case they were right. Ron definitely added much-needed zest to my life, and I added stability to his. Since Ron and I were friends before we started dating, our friendship has always been an important part of our relationship both then and now.