Growing Up As A Girl Child in America: Part 12
Creating my own job and opportunities, aka “The Intern”
After my grandfather died when I was 13 years old, I needed to work more than just babysitting for a few dollars. I got a job after school delivering legal papers in downtown Redlands, making about $10/hour. I only worked a couple of hours, three days a week, but it was still enough to buy food and go to the swap meet.
I lived through my “missing year” — the time I lived with my Dad in Hollywood, family friends in Redlands, and summer in Milwaukee with my cousins. While I was in Milwaukee, I took the bus from Whitefish Bay to my uncle’s office and worked as a records clerk.
By the time I was ready to graduate from high school, I wanted more experience.
I took the bus to the San Bernardino County Museum, along with my printed resume in a folder. I asked to speak to the Director. His assistant, a tall, attractive Chinese-American woman, said he wasn’t available, but made an appointment for the following week for me to see Dr. Smith.
Dr. Gerald Smith, the museum founder and director, was a distinguished man in his early 60s. He often wore a Western bolo tie and had built the museum up from a small, rural building in Bloomington in the western end of the county to a new…
