Work in the Insurance Industry??

When Scotty started 1st grade I was invited by Steve Bjelland to come to work for him part time at his Farmers Insurance Agency.  This is when computer technology came to Farmers.  He wanted and needed someone to work with the computer doing marketing.  Having never considered doing insurance and not knowing anything about it or computers I was a hard sell for Steve.

When I was a teenager my first few jobs were in restaurants and then retail.At Fullerton College I took Psychology and Sociology classes.  After my marriage I changed to a shorter Associate Degree course of Medical Assisting.  While going to college I started working at Wire Basket Redwood which was in the Los Angeles area.  I was a secretary (now known as Administrative Assistant) for Bob Morgan who was the Vice President of the company and my friend,. Pam's father. I remember driving my little red Corvair to work every day.  It was a stick shift and I got a little tired of the traffic and then attending classes still at Fullerton.   Eventually, after leaving college and Wire Basket Redwood I got a job at a company in Fullerton (closer to home) called Exer-Genie.  I had decided that I was too empathetic a person to be around sick, hurting and crying children or adults.  I worked for them until 1969 just before Marque was born.  I also had worked for my mom and dad in their restaurants as a server, manager, and handled payroll.  

Bud and I both wanted me to be a stay at home Mom, but we needed a second income of some sort so I started doing day care just a few months after Marque was born.  All my children came to me by referral so I never was licensed, but I was pretty organized.  I loved doing day care, but I especially loved being able to be with my own children.  Bud used to talk about my going to work after Scott was in school, but I definitely worked before that, just not outside the home.  From 1970 to 1982 I cared for many children.  At one point I had 14 under 5 with 8 in diapers.  It wasn't just banking hours either.  I would take kids at night and on weekends as well.  

My goal had always been to go back to college for that sociology degree after the kids were in school.  However when I was 24 I started having back pain and I wasn't sure that I could handle sitting in college all day.  Having this offer from Steve was an interesting one, and I hadn't made up my mind what I wanted to do for sure.  I remember I had lots of excuses that should have sent Steve quickly looking elsewhere.  "I don't know the first thing about computers, or insurance and I'm really fine never knowing about those things."  " I have this back issue, I don't know if I can handle being at a desk."  " I haven't been in the work force for over 12 years."  "My mother in law may need me to care for her and I would have to change my schedule to do that."  "My dad is terminally ill and he and my mom are one of my first priorities."  "I don't want to just be there when my kids are sick, or break an arm or something.  I want to be their room mother, team mom/  I want to go on field trips and Halloween parades." He accepted and had an answer for every single question or concern. He was willing to take me on in spite of all my liabilities.  That's when I went into the insurance business.