Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Summer 2018 - 8

c o M Pa s s P o i n t s

How I Should Have Been Fired After Less Than
One Month Working for the State Senate:

A Case Study in Communication
T.J. Huckleberry, MPA
Executive Director

I

just graduated college and landed the dream job of any Political
Science majoring, West Wing binge-watching Berks Countian...
working for the legendary late State Senator Mike O'Pake. I am
three weeks into the job, still wearing my brother's old suits and
Jerry Garcia ties, when I was assigned my first event. I was to drive
the Senator to West Chester for a speaking engagement. Prepping
any politician for an event is much like watching Apollo 13 - the
entire staff is painfully involved. Countless drafts of speeches are
written and re-written; coordination between scheduling secretaries
and event coordinators is established; flyers, materials and maps are
loaded; and, of course, meticulous directions are provided to me,
the event's point man (it's the early 2000s so it's via Mapquest).
I am now on the road, driving Senator O'Pake's car. I am armed
with the contact information of the event host's point person, who
happened to be my good friend, Don. Ironically enough, Don
just left Senator O'Pake's office and was now working for another
Senator and I was Don's replacement. I had my trusty brand new
flip phone, and of course the foolproof Mapquest print out. I was
totally prepared. We are on the road by 5:15 p.m., which should
give us plenty of time before the Senator's 6:45 p.m. speech.
The drive started off great - no traffic, the Senator had plenty
of time to memorize his speech, and we even had a conversation
or two. I'd like to think the Senator got to know me a little better
that day. For instance, he thought I actually attended West Chester
University, hence the reason I was driving him (I went to Drexel
University).
I, for one, learned that the Senator really liked his car and that
he just bought it...he said so a few times.
It is 6 p.m. and we are on the outskirts of West Chester. I, still
armed with my Mapquest directions and flip phone, drove onward.
With visions of Bobby Kennedy and CJ Cregg dancing in my

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head, I followed the directions and turned left, which landed us
right in the middle of construction. A detour sign and a couple of
flaggers instantly forced me off of my heading. My trusty Mapquest
directions were now useless!
No worries though; I had my flip phone and Don's number
at the ready. I called Don and explained the detour. He told me
to look for W. Gay Street and then turn right on Bradford....and
here was the beginning of how I should have been fired less than a
month working for the Senate.
I begin to inch along through traffic down W. Gay Street
looking for Bradford. I continue driving...still driving...a couple
of minutes later W. Gay Street becomes EAST Gay Street and I am
staring at the West Chester University football field. Quietly, the
Senator muttered, "Are you sure you know where you are going?"
So again, I break out my flip phone and call Don. Sure enough,
he neglected to tell me to go right instead of left. It is now 6:15
p.m. I turn around and head west on W. Gay Street...right into
a water main break (which was not there 10 minutes earlier)...
detouring me and every other car in West Chester to West Miner
Street and then West Market Street. It was about this time that the
Senator and I got into our first verbal joust about my ability to find
the location of the event. It is now 6:30 p.m.
I am now receiving several panicked calls from Don asking
where I am, and the Senator is looking less and less happy with his
new hire. It was 6:45 p.m. when I finally found Bradford Avenue.
As I raced the car down the street in some driving that would make
Starsky and Hutch sweat, I quickly dropped/threw the Senator
out of his own car and on to the corner of the street and peeled
out towards the parking lot. In doing so, I did not notice that the
Senator forgot his speech on the floor of the passenger side of
the car.
http://www.berkscms.org
Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Summer 2018

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