rickps | My Gang

In my current Project Manager role, I supervise 18 staff members. Nothing special about that, I suppose. What I do find unique is the broad tapestry of ethnicities and backgrounds that this relative small group possesses.

Take my second in command - Balding, semi-muscular, Fu-Manchu mustache, and (so he tells me) a large tattoo of a manhole cover on his back. He owns and rides a Harley. Heck, for many a gay bearish man, he's a veritable wet dream. Sadly, for us folk, he's very straight and very married (actually, married, had kids, divorced, and re-married). Lest someone think otherwise, I hired him because he's very competent in his job and a good supervisor. Really, yes, really.

And then there's my Filipino 'mafia'. Three of my staff are from the Philippines. All great guys and terrific at their respective jobs. It's just the percentage (as compared to that of the greater San Diego area) that's off.

I have two biker dudes. One wears chaps, usually sports a jacket with fringe, and wears his hair in a ponytail. The oddity is that he's also studying for a degree in engineering while being a treatment plant operator. You really don't expect a guy who'd be happy wearing Hells Angel colors to chat you up about highly technical issues.

And, to round out my "gang", I have somewhat under control alcoholic, a man who served some prison time (and is one of my best staff members), and three guys for whom this could be considered their first real job.

Not enough? Today I'll be sending out a job offer letter to hire one of the few women I've run across in my male-dominated industry. And she's a lesbian. Way cool as far as I'm concerned.

Melting Pot indeed.