A Must Read!
by Asta Dido
What is Identity, In a Word
I love Andy Rooney and Charles Osgood and when I grow up, I want to be just like them. There are many reasons for my admiration but, what I like the most is how they tell a story. Story telling seems to be disappearing lost art, but, was once a major form of communication and even the way one generation passed its knowledge and values, and much more, to the next and succeeding generations. What story telling demands is time, patience and a willingness to listen and that seems contrary to the way we get our information today with “sound bites” emails, faxes and computer data transmission –broadband, fiber optics and the like. It seems like the faster information travels the shorter our attention span.
I don’t know who first dubbed this time in human history as the “Information Age” but it does seem to be the best definition and description of the times we live in but, let us not color all we do 21st Century in monochromatic bits and bytes. These are some of the most pregnant ideas and thoughts I have had since reading Marshall McLuhan’s thoughts that “The Medium is the Message!”
I remember, I believe it was in the movie “Network” that Peter Finch as newsman Howard Beale cries “go to your nearest window and yell as loud as you can, I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” I’m sure we all feel that way sometimes.
Where am I going with this and why am I bringing this up? It is because I want to broaden the definition of “Identity Theft” to include the insidious theft of “Our Humanity!” (Remember you heard it here first!)
Ok, so someone steals your Social Security number and credit cards—creates a new identity or uses yours for his or their gain not giving one fig what happens to you. Costly, troublesome but you can recover and recover all the wiser. Gee, “I won’t be that stupid again you say to yourself!” But, what if you were libeled, slandered and or discriminated against—doesn’t that scalpel go to the core of who and what you are—isn’t that your true identity they are trying to steal?
Every single race, religion and group of people in America has been discriminated against at one time on another. Some discrimination and prejudice are constant and will seemingly never end and some, it seems, “morph” into different shapes and appearances depending on the prevailing mood of the day.
I try to write about what I know and about my experience and just hope what I do write hits on some universality, some truth. If you have read some of my pervious columns you will know that I am 74 and very much a Senior Citizen. I have mentioned that I wanted to deal with “Age Discrimination” as a form of Identity Theft and I did write about Seniors as being one of the most vulnerable groups in our society---an elderly person sitting alone at home and lonely can fall prey to every known con man and scam. Some know better and know how to and will fight back! But this is not that kind; this is more harmful. I hope I have laid down a nice base coat for the story I am about to tell. It’s about how and what and I did to fight back in the hopes of inspiring others…
Since this is a true story and not a fairy tale I won’t start with “Once upon a time,” but, what happened, what this story is about, still angers me. Some years back, while in my sixties, I applied for a position as a Lab Assistant/Instructor in Graphics Arts at a New York City Technical College. It was a position that I was eminently qualified for and eager to get because I thought I would lead to my goal of someday becoming a College Professor.
I was one of three applicants called in for an interview and only later did I find out that it fell under the NY City Dept. of Personnel guidelines as “the one-in-three rule!” That meant that they, the College had to have three candidates to comply with the law. But, what I didn’t know was that they had already chosen; they had made their choice and that this was just a ruse that was going down just for appearances. I wasn’t going to get that job even if my name was Matthew Brady or Steiglitz. To further compound the unfairness I was interviewed by a panel consisting of the Dept. Chairman and 6 professors seated in a semicircle shooting, rapid fire, questions at me and this is when it happened!
One of the professors said: “I know I’m not supposed to ask, but, how old are you?” The question was like a thunderclap! I heard an audible gasp from the group and saw the Chairman roll his eyes and shake his head! Inside I fumed and thought Damn it, if you’re not supposed to ask, THEN DON’T ASK! How in sam’s hill could I answer that question? Whether intentional or not, he just screwed me! The clammy faced Chairman broke in and with some gratuitous words, ended the interview—but the damage was done and he knew it. He followed me out of the room, into the hall, down the elevator and right to the building’s entrance trying to blow smoke with the stench of false flattery up my, for politeness I’ll say, nose—telling me how qualified I was and what a great resume and how wonderful my interview was and that they would call me. He was, I’m sure, hoping I would forget about it and do nothing—WRONG!
The minute I got home I went into action! Out came my trusty laptop and I Google’d and Yahoo’d and searched for everything I could find about the College and Staff and found that Mr. Big Shot Chairman was a phony who got most his credentials by mail order courses! Then I scoured the web re “Age Discrimination and set out to contact every Fed, State and City Gov’t agency I could find and, they were contacted.
It was with the Fed’s EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) that I got my sought after justice. Sorry, it was my well deserved revenge that I got. The College had to put six attorneys to work—letters and documents flew back and forth and when I saw them through the “Freedom of Information Act” I ended up with a file as thick as a telephone book and the knowledge they ended up with condemnation, sanctions and a hefty fine—I collected not a dime but ended with the satisfaction that I didn’t think they would ever do that to anyone ever again; at least not at anytime soon—but, you have to know that even college professors are not immune to stupidity!
I am, after all, glad that I didn’t become a professor; at least not one like them! I became a High School Computer Teacher—loved every moment and never looked back. In my lesson plan books I always wrote: “Don’t forget to give a lesson to all the jerks in the world that some people will fight to the bitter end to uphold their integrity and self esteem” and I never heard one supervisor or principal complain…
Asta Dido
Asta Dido is the Pen Name of Sam DiBernardo retired Computer Teacher and Proud Senior Citizen and Candidate for NYCity Council, Dist. 32 Queens
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