It was 1966, and Carlos, my high school classmate, had passed the entrance exam for engineering at his first choice. Needing to work to earn some money, still in 1966, he took an exam to become a civil servant at an important federal agency, newly created, in the financial sector, and he passed. The agency was new and wealthy; everything was being purchased, built, installed, and contracted. The initial staff was entirely borrowed or transferred from another agency.
As an engineering student, he sought to be “allocated” to the most related “Division,” responsible for purchases, constructions, renovations, paperwork, equipment, etc. – the “Property Division.”
Everyone was a clerk, and according to years of service, they were classified as Letter A, Letter B, and so on, with a vegetative growth in salary. In parallel, they held “commissioned” positions. When someone went on vacation or a position became vacant, there was a chain reaction, and everyone ended up earning more by occupying higher-ranked positions. Since the agency was new, sometimes they would occupy more than one position higher.
I believe it was at the end of '67 or the beginning of '68 when, replacing a superior in the purchasing department, he attended to a supplier, and, in youthful enthusiasm about holding a “leadership” position, he inadvertently said that he was substituting “for all purposes.”
The supplier's representative, apparently also a “beginner,” ended up handing over some amounts. When they both realized, they had crossed a dangerous line.
As a result, Carlos was promoted to a much higher hierarchical position but transferred to the warehouse. He got parking space (the warehouse was outside the city center) and even time to study, as he could complete his tasks in a quarter of the available time. It turned out to be very good for him and helped with some life decisions.
Because of this and other reasons, and because what he truly wanted was to be an “engineer,” he decided to ask for “leave of absence without pay” to intern at a large engineering firm. The second time, though embarrassed by his mother, he resigned.
I was told that his mother, who even cried, told him:
_ Don’t do this, you don’t know how hard it is to make a living, to survive. Here, you’re secure forever, you’re a civil servant and well-paid.
He chose not to listen to his mother and faced the world.
He chose life and production, not waiting for retirement. Apparently, the higher power took pity on him, and everything worked out. Our friend was a lucky man in both his profession and life. He survived and lived with distinction. Luck helped by his work and his guardian angel. Since he didn’t disappoint the angel, the angel didn’t abandon him.
Miguel Fernández y Fernández
Engineer and chronicler, 2,325 characters, 1967 BC Rb
Remember: Vernon, Paul, Ramiro, Norton, Prochet, Benoliel, etc.
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