Holy Cow...Did That Really Happen?
- Paula
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
This memory popped up from six years ago on my Facebook today, bringing a flood of memories. I have worked for First Christian Church for 27 years. I have seen so many things, dealt with so many situations that were far beyond what I ever suspected I would have as a church secretary. Pretty certain this wasn't in the job description... lol. This building has been flooded so many times, with me calling the fire department to come to my rescue to pump 5,000 gallons a minute out of the doorway on a pretty regular basis for a while. To see floodwater coming and know you can’t do anything about it is a very helpless feeling. Coming to work after watching the weather forecast, knowing that the basement would be flooding, so flip-flops were my regular go-to, just in case. Feeling as I worked in a jet engine for a while from fans blowing and dehumidifiers running. My office being relocated to the second floor temporarily while repairs were made from the floods. Feeling as if I went from the bottom of the barrel to the Penthouse.
The bat problem we once had back in 2020. On this particular day, a bat had fallen out of the ceiling into my office. I had my hair in a bun on top of my head. That blasted bat was determined to get in my hair, so in a panic, I ran out of the office and out the door, which, due to a magnetic lock, I had accidentally locked myself out of the building. That's not a new thing either just ask Gail Baker or Mike Lewis they have came to my rescue several times. Might be a blonde thing... lol
I have had people come to the door asking me to call 911. With my safety in mind, I would always keep the door locked. This particular experience involved a lady asking me to call 911, saying she didn’t mean to hurt the man. The man stepped out from behind her. He had a huge laceration across his head and was bleeding profusely. I called 911, but when the police came, the couple was gone; they had left.
I have also had a situation with a couple of homeless people sleeping on the side of the building. As I was leaving work one day, there was a man and a woman on the beautiful balcony on the 1st Street side of our building. The man appeared to be unclothed. So, out of caution, I called the police to come. That couple had been arrested for burglary previously and the police handled it. Sometimes it pays to be observant or nosey depending on what you want to call it.
I try to always approach each situation with caution, but whoever dreamed that working for a church would come with dangerous and unusual situations?
Of all the experiences I have had at the church, I think the most comical is that when I first started, I would hear voices all the time saying “Hello” to the point I thought I was losing my mind. In actuality, it was people calling the elevator speaker phone and saying "HELLO" because it would automatically pick up the call. So, I got a huge laugh when I figured out that I wasn’t losing my mind; it was actually people calling into the building but it took me sometime to realize what it was.
I love the members and all the many memories made from working here the food pantry with Joyce, Hugh, Patty, Deb & Bertha, helping with VBS over the years, the Corbin Community Backpack Program, and helping each person in some way or another over the years. Special friendships formed with all the previous Pastors and friends. I miss so many who have passed on but cherish the memories made. Being a church secretary isn’t for the faint of heart, but I absolutely love my job. It has come with a lot of excitement over those years. Here is to many more years as the church Secretary, Custodian and Chaos coordinator . With much love and care, Paula Rapier
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