“A QUESTION FOR THE MOMENT” by Jeffrey Zable

Walking around downtown, all of a sudden I remembered 
that I worked—rather lasted— three weeks in an employment 
agency in the building on the corner. 

The job entailed calling up people—mostly men--- already 
working in a particular field—mostly engineering—and trying 
to get them to interview for a similar job in which the employer 
would pay our agency a commission if they hired the person. 
I would then receive a part of that commission. 

With regard to the job, I hated being on the phone trying 
to hustle people, and besides that, I didn’t like the guy 
who worked at the next desk: an arrogant, alpha male 
who once said to me, “Never make a friend you can’t use
to improve your status in life!” 

As I can sort of picture his face, I wonder if he’s still around 
and whether his friendships ever gave him any real satisfaction. . .

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