I was sharing a thought with some people that I work with a few weeks ago. I was remembering when I started working in the travel industry. It was in 1990. I was right out of high school. My uncle assisted me in getting at job at the Last Minute Club. I took a one month training course with a group of people, and then after that…we were thrown to the wolves. Just kidding, on the phones, in the call centre.

Call centre – one big room with cubicles. Nothing like today of course. Smoking was allowed “back then”, so the smoking section was on one side and the non smoking section on the other side – WITH NO WALL…so what was the difference? Crazy now that I think about it actually. I can’t believe that old building at 1300 Don Mills road didn’t burn down from all the chain smokers. One lady lit her cigarette with the last cigarette she was smoking!

No computers, no internet, no VOICEMAIL! All we had were big white dry erase boards. All the destinations, hotels, dates, etc were on a grid on these boards. And the only way to check the space was to use the phone! If it was sold out, we told our product department and and they came and crossed it out.

That was how we worked. No one checked trip advisory to see if the hotel was good, no one posted a facebook status update to see if anyone had been there or where is a good place to go. People didn’t even SHOP around. They TRUSTED you, the agent, that you were making the best choice for them and their money they were spending. Funny, that doesn’t feel any different than today…yet it is.

Slowly we had computers at this old office, one for every two people to share…they were raised and on a swivel stand so that we could take turns. So archiac and funny now that I am reminded of it.

Wow have times have changed!

I am not saying anything against the internet age. Personally I LOVE IT! I remember the first day when I heard about this crazy thing called Facebook, that was only a ‘school’ age phenomenon and it was just opening to the general public. The ability to ‘find’ and ‘friend’ people, people who you lost touch with, email, message, see their lives through pictures. Whoever created it (Zuckerberg or the other guys) was a genuis really. Now, mind you, some ‘old friends’ should have stayed lost….but others, wow, how amazing my life has enriched by reconnecting with others. I am sure you agree with that statement. We could be REfriends today because of facebook, and that is a good thing.

And now this…blogging…sharing a thought, story, personal insight to an event or personal life changing situation. I always had stories, and thoughts and could capture a room with them, but now, here, in the blogsphere, they live, breathe and exist on their own. That is something I find amazing and scary at the same time.

The funniest thing about this post today, this wasn’t even what I sat down to write about! This was just a random thought that was in my head and jumped into my fingers as I typed away.
 
I guess that thought will have to wait until next time…..so stay tuned….and leave a comment if you want. It is a stamp to the writer that you were here…and we all want to be counted, and heard.
 
Whatever you do today – make it count!