What Color Is Your Parachute?

Back in the day, when Netscape was the hot company to work for, I flew to California from my then current gig in Tokyo for an interview. The dinner interview took place near the Berkley Marina at a restaurant. The interviewer was a former colleague of mine that I had met once or twice.

All the previous times I had met her, I had been impressed and during our other encounters, was often was regaled with fascinating stories about her previous jobs and experiences. I was excited and encouraged at the opportunity to work for this Web 1.0 company.

I got to the restaurant early and sat in the bar awaiting her arrival. When she arrived, we sat and ordered a bottle of wine to share at dinner. The whole night was going well and as she knew a lot about my previous experience, the conversation settled into a more personal cadence.

All of the sudden and without any warning, her part of the conversation veered off into the bizarre. Something I had never personally experienced. She started to tell me that she had multiple personalities, two male and five female. The tale was tragic, starting with an abusive uncle and progressing until the present.

I remember sitting across from her at the two person table trying to figure out what kind of facial expression to portrait. This was an interview and required special guidance and instruction. I thought quickly back to my guidance counselor’s office in Moose Lake, Minnesota when I was in high school and to the book What Color Is Your Parachute. That idea was a bust as I couldn’t remember any chapters on multiple-personality-disorder-during-an-interview.

Should I show my surprised face? Concerned? Sad? Inquisitive? Frightened? I was definitely a bit freaked out and drained my glass of wine. Fidgeting nervously, I then drank my water and re-arranged my silverware, wondering how to respond appropriately. And then it came to me.

I asked her who was interviewing me.

Definitely a good question as if it was actually one of the guys, I could relax and perhaps do a bit of off-beat humor. If it would have been one of the females, perhaps Sybil, it would be a whole different thing, biting the head off rabbits and all.

Perhaps I should have thought of a better question because the interview ended shortly thereafter and I flew back to Tokyo the next day, to resume my old job.