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What colleges have you attended?

I’ve had a few successful paid working positions in my life but none of them had the requirement of College attendance / result to move into work.

I left School after attaining a  Junior Certificate and applied for a position in a local Bank as a Junior Clerk. During my studies at School I learnt typing  by correspondence because we lived about 50 miles from the nearest town where I could have gone to ” college” and  as we were not well off and I had no means to travel daily to the next town.

My Mum wasn’t very confident about me going off to the interview but I was quite excited about the prospect of working and earning  my own money.

The manager read my application through, coughed and adjusted his glasses.  He  seemed to hesitate and cleared his throat.

‘ Well he said your grades are good but unfortunately we won’t be able to employ you.’  He paused and rose to his feet.

I was rather confused and asked him why I wasn’t suitable for the position of typing, making morning tea and collecting the mail from the post office. It didn’t seem to be a position where one needed a College degree?

The next thing he said to me has stayed with me for  50 years. He said ,’ You’ve got funny eyes. We couldn’t possibly have someone working here like that!!”

I was absolutely flabbergasted, I was born with a few disabilities that made my outward appearance different to other people. The muscles in my eyelids didn’t work properly – there was nothing wrong with my vision. I had to tilt my head back to see if I was walking but if I was reading something in front of me I was fine.

I was shocked and saddened to my core!. I was born like that and there were no safe adjustment operations available in those days in Australia. I’d been bullied and laughed at all through schooling.

Even my father was rude to me telling me I wasn’t smart or pretty like my sisters. .. I wasn’t going to take the Bank Manager’s insolent behaviour. I politely said to him well thank you for that information and maybe I will find employment somewhere else.

I asked if I could shake his hand and as he stepped towards me I indicated for him to take off his reading glasses and place them on the desk and tell me the time on the Town Clock , a short distance down the main street. He spluttered, ‘I cannot even see the Town Clock without my glasses.’

Hmmmm I replied and told him the time. You think I’ve got funny eyes. I don’t need glasses to see the Clock.

He beckoned me to sit down, I guess realising his mistake and said Yes I suppose we can find a position for you in our Bank.

I never went to College for any of the positions I held in my 40 years as a paid employee and even though I had my eyelids adjusted through at least ten different operations I was always judged by my outward appearance not the kindness that oozed from within.