פרנסה מן השמים

Miriam was working as a secretary in a local Jewish office. As a result of some light conversations, they called me, asking whether I could help them edit and publish a booklet.

No, I'm no expert in publishing, but I can handle the writing and editing. I did my part, but the job bombed. I didn't know how to go about getting the final product published. Changes were made without my knowledge, and they had to redo the job. I felt terrible.

True, none of the problems were my fault - except for the fact that I didn't know about publishers and publishing.

To my surprise, they thanked me for my efforts. Yes, I had tried hard (the way anybody would work when he has no idea what he is doing or how to do it) but I certainly expected to be the scapegoat for the failed job.

I was called into the director's office. I was sure that this would be the end.

I sauntered in, trying to act cool.

He asked me to sit down, chatted, asked about the wife and kids, and he started asking about the job.

I started to say something, and he interrupted and told me that he appreciated my efforts with a difficult job. He said that he hoped that we would be able to do more work together. I thanked him and walked out.

I didn't understand what was happening. What did I do right? But it seemed that everything just seemed to work out right, without my being involved or relevant.

During some of his best years, President Ronald Reagan got similar treatment. He probably didn't understand it either, at the time.

Shortly after that, I got a call from that same office. They needed a translator for the new director who had just come from abroad. He wanted to get right into things, despite the fact that he didn't know Hebrew.

I was called up on April 1, 1984, and asked if I could come in and start working there 20 hours a week. I asked if, er, they could just wait until Sunday.

I never asked anybody for protektzia. I certainly did not answer a newspaper advertisement. The only thing I did right was to submit the job on time LINK TO GTRANSLATION SUBMITTING ON TIME.

They offered me a three month contract. At the end of that contract, they renewed it for another three months. They kept renewing it for three or six months.

I don't understand it.

I was there for several years, always on those brief contracts. During this time, and partly because of my work in that office, I continued to increase my other translation work. It didn't really matter when it came to an end, because other thigns worked out so well.

Yet, the way that things worked out never ceased to amaze me.