“Haven’t you ever heard of a day job?” Dad asked. “Listen to me. Take this job. See how it goes. Make some money until your singing career takes off. Do this for me. Please.”

So here I was, sitting at an actual desk, in an actual office, wearing an actual skirt—an infuriatingly uncomfortable skirt. I grabbed the edge of my pencil skirt and tried to move it into a more comfortable position. Then, I quickly dropped my hand when I saw my new boss walk into his office.

“Wilhelmina!” he exclaimed with a big smile. “Welcome. I know you are going to love it here at S. K. C. J. Z. X. & Y.”

I wanted to say, ‘What a mouthful.’ Instead, I said, “Thank you for the opportunity.” And I forced a smile onto my face.

After getting me this job without my asking for it and convincing me to take this job, Dad trained me relentlessly on how to act when I got to this job, on what to say and what to do to keep this job.

I didn’t have the heart to remind my dad that I was only taking this job as a favor to him. I could be spending this time writing songs and practicing singing them. I didn’t care how long it took to make money at singing or how poor I became in the process. I didn’t care if I ended up living in my car and singing on the streets for spare change.

But Dad cared.

And I guess it meant a lot to me that he did.

I settled into my day job at S. K. C. J. Z. X. & Y. fairly quickly. I got used to being in an office. Though, I opted to wear slacks after that first day in the uncomfortable skirt.

But also, on that first day, something strange happened to me.

I found a note stuck to my desk chair.

The note read, “Take the initiative. Ask Oliver for his list of calls.”

I assumed my boss Oliver had written this note for me and complied by asking for his list of calls, but he seemed genuinely astonished and pleased when I asked.

Every day, when I got to work, I found a new sticky note on my desk chair. And every day, I followed the instructions on the sticky note and received positive results from my boss Oliver who was thrilled with my ability to read his mind and to know what he needed me to do before he asked me to do it.

By the end of the first week at my day job, Oliver said, “Wilhelmina, you are the best assistant I have ever had.”

But the second week at my day job, the sticky notes began to ask for me to do work-related tasks after my time in the office. These tasks cut into the time that I had set aside for my songwriting and singing practice.

And the third week at my day job, the sticky notes began to ask for me to stop spending my time writing songs and practicing singing. The notes told me that I could really excel at this job if I gave this job 100%.

And on the fourth week at my day job, I marched to Oliver’s desk, holding the sticky notes in my hand.

“Oliver,” I said. “This has to stop.” I dropped the sticky notes on his desk.

“What is this?” Oliver asked.

“Haven’t you been leaving these notes?”

“No,” Oliver said. He examined the sticky notes. “But I recognize the hand writing…” Oliver dropped the notes.

“Who is it?” I demanded.

Oliver shook his head.

“Is it… my dad?” I asked.

As I was leaving the office, I called Dad.

“Dad,” I said. “I want you to know that I just quit my day job! And that I know it was you who has been writing me all of those notes!”

I said some things to Dad that I wish I’d never said. Then, I hung up on him.

Later that day, Oliver called me. He said that he knew I was upset and had quit in the heat of the moment. He said that I was still the best assistant he had ever had. He said I could have another chance if I wanted it.

I didn’t.

But I did want a second chance with someone else.

I made up with Dad.

“Look, Dad,” I said. “I think you are right about the day job, so I’m going to find one, but it’s going to be one that I find and that I can do while still pursuing the career that I want.”

Dad admitted that maybe he shouldn’t have been leaving me notes at work. He had hoped the assistant job would become more than a day job to me.

We had a good talk, and I don’t think he’ll ever find me a job again. And if he did, I think I would turn it down this time. Our relationship is more important.

I found another job that didn’t take too much time. And I didn’t make too much money either. But I did write a lot of songs.