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“Hello students,” a voice boomed out from the public address system. “Welcome to our Career Fair. Girls head toward the left, boys to the right.”

“Jimmy,” Susie said, as she and her boyfriend entered the gymnasium. “We have to split up.”

“Go ahead. I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes.”

Several informational booths had been set up throughout the room, all highlighting different occupations. Large photos of the career choice in question sat perched on an easel next to each table. The boy’s side featured tanks, trucks and electrical equipment. The girl’s got ovens, bakeware and sewing machines.

As Susie walked toward the right, her attention was drawn back over her shoulder. The boy’s offerings seemed so much more interesting than her own. Yet, as a dutiful student, she checked out the girl’s careers first.

A variety of brochures spread across the first table. These focused on food. Information on refrigeration, food storage, cooking tips and recipes we all available for the taking. Susie put two of these pamphlets in her book bag. She was, after all, a very successful teen cook and had hosted a popular party.

Nothing appealed to her from the sewing booth. Stitching two pieces of cloth together was a bore. Why were the boy’s career choices more exciting than her own?

Rather than wait for Jimmy to come to her, she decided to seek him out. A logical thought, except deep down she knew she was using her boyfriend as an excuse to see what other types of jobs were out in the world.

Turns out there were plenty. The booths on the boy’s side outnumbered the girls two to one. Each table had a cluster of young men in front of it, listening intently while an adult informed them about details of each occupation.

Susie walked quietly behind the crowd, peeking between shoulders, at pamphlets on display.

One particular publication captured her attention. It had a blue cover, with a drawing of a teenage boy on it. The boy had a gigantic question mark over his head. Above it the title asked, “Can I be an Engineer?”

The question bounced around in Susie’s head. Of course, she could not be an engineer. She was a girl. Taking care of “house and home” was her future. Yet, the image of a laboratory, or a work bench captured her imagination.

It wouldn’t hurt to learn more, would it? Maybe if she read more about engineering, she would lose interest.

No one paid her the slightest bit of attention. They were caught up in their own, deep discussions. Not hesitating a second, Susie snatched up a copy of the brochure and tucked it quickly into her book bag. She then beat a hasty retreat to the far corner of the gym, plucked it out and started to read.

It’s suggested that you “take a look around you.”

Fascinating. Susie had never given a door knob a second thought. Now it was the most wondrous invention ever made.

The next page filled her with much hope.

It said right there in black-and-white that women were needed in technical work. Particularly in the field of science research and, to some extent, engineering.

Some extent? Full extent, as far as Susie was concerned. Right then and there she was determined to learn more about engineering. There were no limits to where she could go!

But how to get there?

First, she needed to know the basics.

There were several types of engineers.

They all sounded so interesting. Who could choose between them? There were other benefits as well.

Susie whistled softly. Companies needed a lot of skilled employees.

You could serve your country too!

Four hundred dollars a month! Susie couldn’t imagine having that much money.

A female chairman of the board? While unusual, it wasn’t impossible, was it?

A gust of common sense swept over her. Susie should put this brochure down. A demonstration of shorthand was about to start. She was far more likely to become the secretary of the chairman, rather than be the boss herself—

Did she dare pursue a more interesting and challenging career path?

Susie laughed, remembering when her little brother, Junior, got in trouble for trying to take the telephone apart. Curiosity must run in the family!

“Hey, Susie,” Jimmy’s voice next to her ear made her jump. “What are you doing over here?” Her boyfriend curled his fingers around her hand, tilting her palm so he could read the title of the booklet she held. “You’re thinking about becoming an engineer?”

“Don’t be silly,” Susie instinctively answered. “I got this for Junior.”

“Oh.”

Was it her imagination, or did Jimmy seem a little disappointed?

“Why,” she asked cautiously. “Do you think I would make a good engineer?”

“I think you would be fantastic at it. Both you and your brother have very technical minds, and I think it would be great fun if—”

Susie cocked her head. “If?”

“I want to be an engineer too.” Jimmy blurted, his words rushing together like a freight train. “If you enroll in the program, we would be in a lot of the same classes!”

“Are you sure, Jimmy?” Susie was thrilled at the prospect, but still had her doubts. “A female engineer isn’t very traditional.”

“Traditional is boring,” Jimmy insisted. “Look, you don’t have to commit right now. Just come with me to talk to the counselor and sign up for a couple of courses.”

“If you don’t like it, fine, then you can learn something else. Otherwise, you’ve got a head start on an interesting career.”

“Either way,” Susie said, “we get to spend more time together.”

“Sounds like a winning proposition to me.”

“Me too!”

Susie gave him a kiss on the cheek. “How did I get such a wonderful and understanding boyfriend?”

“Just lucky I guess,” Jimmy said. The two headed toward the engineering table and toward the future.

Their lives ahead look bright. Our peak in the past is just as fabulous, as long as we have GVS. Glorious Vintage Stuff!