Every once in a while I'm reminded of just what an amazing thing this www business is.

Today I received an e-mail from Charlie Terry. Until today I'd never heard of Charlie Terry. It turns out that he is the third son of Kent Terry, founder of Terryphone.

Charlie was searching the web and ran across my first blog posted on January 2, 2003. He has been looking for information about the company his dad began back in the late 1940s. I worked for Terryphone in Salt Lake City starting in 1975. That company was a big part of my life for more than a decade. My official affiliation with ITT Terryphone (Busniess Communication when I left) ended in late 1985. I did work for what was left of the ITT Branch in Salt Lake from January 1986 to April 1988. Same customer base as before, just no mother ship.

I read through the history about Terryphone's early beginnings. I also read through the political nightmare that was part of my life. I moved my family from Utah to Buffalo and from Buffalo to Milwaukee during a time that was very unsettled for the corporation. Some of that knowledge would have likely enabled me to make different career choices. Still, in retrospect, I'm glad I didn't know. My ignorance enabled me to take some big chances that resulted in some incredible experiences.

I grew a great deal from my Terryphone days. I still remember vividly driving through Cleveland for the first time. It was about Midnight after 38 straight hours on the road. I was sleep deprived and lonely. I started to feel panicked and wondered what I was doing so far away from my home and family.

As I drove into Buffalo early the next morning I decided that whatever happened I could survive for six months. Then I could go back to Utah without too much shame. It was the only way I could face this strange new place.

I did survive and made it two years in Buffalo. I left for opportunity in Milwaukee.

It is amazing to feel so far away from all of that and then find that it is still a part of me. Charlie and I swapped a few messages today. I took time to highlight some of my more memorable experiences and Charlie asked if he could place my comments on the Terryphone web page. I wonder where this will lead?

What amazes me most is I really thought that first post was a throw-away and that no one would ever read it. In fact, I wrote it thinking that it was just a waste of my time or at least a nice little exercise in futility. Was I wrong!

That's all for now.........
10:29:59 PM    comment []