Brotherhood of Jobs
This page was most recently updated Friday, June 27, 2008.
If your name is Job, if you know someone named Job (either as a first name or with Job as
part of the last name like Apple co-founder Stephen Jobs) or if you want to know more
about the blessings and tribulations that first name has bestowed on Jobs, please visit
this site and share your thoughts.
New copy since the previous posting is presented in bold
vermillion type.
If you don't know that the proper name Job, and the use of Job as part
of a first, middle or last name is pronounced with a long "o" as you find
it in the word "hope," and as you find it in the Christian Bible's Old
Testament Book of Job, I hope that you will understand this starting now. The stranger who
shows no respect for the proper pronunciation of another person's name ensures that he or
she will always be a stranger. I respect those who respect my name.
The increasing incapacity of people to pronounce this name as they have
pronounced it for thousands of years has led to good people, who know its proper
pronunciation, to surrender the integrity of the name to those who have no capacity to
pronounce three consecutive letters which embrace one vowel correctly. Consider Apple
Computer co-founder Stephen Jobs. Since he was born and for most of his life his name has
been pronounced as "Jobs, rhymes with probes." I believe the news media are
responsible for the new way -- the incorrect way -- of pronouncing it today: Early in the
Apple co-founder's career, media DID pronounce it correctly, but since about 2000
denigrated the name and their own capacity as news readers by pronouncing it "Job,
rhymes with slob." Recently, the president of Bob Jones University, a bastion,
a bulwark of Bible righteousness, appearing on the Larry King Live TV show, quoted from
"Job, rhymes with slob." The dumbing down of the name of Job brings anguish to
my heart and fire to my resolve to speak out against it. This unawareness on a cob STINKS.
It bothers the bejeebers out of me, and it should bother the bejeebers out of you
too! If you want to show how much you don't like me, call me the most reprehensible
(insert your favorite deletable expletives here
______________________________________________________) but pronounce my fripping name
correctly so I know who the fring-frang you're talking about and I know that you're not as
niggardly of mind and soul and your mouth and voice suggest!
Springfield, my home town, has also dumbed down another name, a good
name, without a fight. The last name of Aiello, a solid-sounding name -- as
anyone who can read and has any but the most knuckle dragging, eating soup with your
fingers mentality should know without a second thought -- is pronounced to rhyme with
"i-YELL-o" UNLESS you work for the local news media. During the early part of
this hard working, respected elected official's career, radio stories pronounced his name
as it should be pronounced. That lasted about three and a half weeks, if I remember right.
When some brilliant reporter or (worse, a news director -- or news doctor, your choice)
started pronouncing the name to rhyme with "HEY-lee-o," other media followed
like it was a parade to the free barbecue tent at the Illinois State Fair! The last time I
spoke with the gentleman I explained that I know how his last name should be pronounced,
that I went to high school with Aiellos for goodness' sake! So why was he enduring this
corn-country lynching of his name? He smiled the way you smile when you you've been hit
with a cream pie -- caught with your dignity down, but nevertheless grateful for the
attention -- and shrugged his shoulders.
| My major regret in life is not that I've sired no progeny. During
those years, reeling, as I still am from the overall trauma encountered with my family, I
knew I didn't want to further infect my part of the gene pool with more people who might
be like me. Almost any bloke can father a kid. I was asked by a girlfriend if I'd father a
child, knowing that I could never see the child. My answer was no. This is not to say, as
I said to a person looking to rent my duplex, "that I didn't enjoy going through the
motions." My major regret was not that I failed as a general human being. Not
every child grows up to win the Mr. Conviviality award. My greatest regret was that I did
not show my parents how much I lived them for the incalculable joys and delights they gave
me in the course of growing up at 2016 S. Whittier Avenue in Springfield, Illinois, the
only home I ever knew until I became an adult and moved away. They never knew my
appreciation for the hundreds of pictures taken of me between infancy and about age 13
when I gegan to buck and jump over the corral fence too many times, and go out and bother
the coyotes, so to speak. One of the best pictures taken of me was on my third birthday. THIS picture and the intelligence of my father who took it September 5, 1950, is the major reason I developed a keen interest in photography starting about age 10, seven years after this picture was taken, when Dad gave me a used box camera and showed me how to use it. I have never seen a better birthday picture of anyone. Mom baked the cake; chocolate if I recall correctly. (photo by Job C. Conger, III) |
 |
|
Excepting my dad, I have never met another Job, but I've
met people who knew other people named Job; everyone a boy, a man, or somewhere in
between.. If your name is Job, or if you want to tell me about the person(s) you have
known named Job, please write me. I think I am headed in the direction of founding a
Brotherhood of Job for folks who want to join it. Before I do, I want to see if there are
any Jobs left out there in the living world. . . Here I am with my father, Job Clifton Conger, III on the left. I was probably about 4 years old. We were visiting the duck pond at Washington Park in Springfield aobut 1954. I was a chubby sprout. (photo by my mom, Avis (Jones) Conger) |
| My greatest brush with FAME (aside from shaking George Herbert
Walker Bush's hand at a Springfield reception in the late 70s) was shaking cowboy
movie/song legend and future big league baseball team owner Gene Autry's hand at Capital
airport about 1952. Dad took the picture. I remember absolutely nothing about how this
encounter took place. My guess is that Dad knew Gene was coming to Springfield for a
personal appearance somewhere, and we went out to the airport on a sunny Sunday to meet
him as he came through on his way downtown. The fellow behind me is a friend of Dad's. (photo by Job C. Conger, III) |
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I will share your feedback in future updates of this page.
THANKS to Tom Oglin for sending me a classified
advertisement (source unknown; not important) placed by Job Cornelius Hicks of Holyoke,
Massachusetts. The ad included his address, but I won't share it here. I wrote to Job,
describing The Brotherhood of Jobs, this web site, and asking him to tell me something
about himself. I told him I wasn't looking for money; just a chance to tell others that
there are gentlemen (and at least one dog; see clip below) with this honored name who know
how to pronounce it. I was delighted when his friendly reply came in the mail April 19.
It read, "There was a 'Job' who
was/is employed by People's Bank, 314 High Street, Holyoke, MA 01040. I never met him, but
I've heard of him.
"Thanks for your letter. My grandfather on my father's side was
Job.
"I have always loved my name. I didn't like being called Job
(as in job) by workers in doctors'/dentists' offices who are calling me from a waiting
room. For years I did not correct them. Lately I do.
"I have a small retail furniture store and a small Baptist
church of which I am the pastor. I was born 6/25/47.
"Thank you again, JOBY BABY!"
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Thanks AGAIN to Tom Oglin for sending this clip from a late October issue
of The Star newspaper, published in Florida, whose editor gave me permission to
share it here. It's heart-warming to know there are at least two sentient beings (actually three if you count earnest webmaster) in this world named Job pronounced the right way, even if one of them can't hold a fork! |
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November 25, 2005 -- "I was perusing
your website tonight (great stuff)and ran across the section on your first name. "We named our son Job. He is four. Everyone thought we were nuts, but my wife and I really think it is a great Biblical name. You can always tell who has read the Bible by how they pronounce his name. "Even at age four he is a big aviation buff and goes all over the country in our B-25." -- Tim Savage Editor/Publisher Warbird Digest Pictured LEFT is his handsome progeny! IF YOUR NAME is Job, send me your picture! writer@eosinc.com |
April 17, 2003 -- "A proud Job here. At 23 I'm fast coming up on a full 1/4 of a century of being one and am so proud it hurts. I am not 'Joe.' You may call me Job....with a 'b'.
April 19 -- "I'm from the grand state of
Vermont. I have 3 brothers with Biblical names that start with J-o. Joel, John
and Josh. When it got to me the choices were pretty watered down. But I'll
take the results.
"I've met only one other Job. He was a janitor
at the San Diego zoo and spoke no English. I knew his name was "Job" only
by his nametag....he pronounced it "hobe".
"I've also met another "Job" who was from Korea
but Job wasn't his real name but rather was given to him by a missionary family. I
went to college with him and have forwarded to him the link to your site.
"I'm a Christian with a communications degree from
Houghton College in western NY.
I like road trips. I like snow-shoeing the Vermont countryside.
"This has been the coldest winter of my entire life.
I hope I'm not too bitter now as a result.
"I'd like to get to know you better and share
the same issues we both grew up with. (I.E. giving your name at a restaurant and
having them call out "Joe, your order is ready". frickers.)
"The Job cause is a good cause.
Let's fight to unite the Job front. This issue must be addressed on a national
level. Not for us...for the Job's of tomorrow."
- Job Tate
Job Tate is the ONLY Job to respond so far. If
YOU are a Job, please follow his lead. Tell me a little about yourself. If we can find 10
men who use their given first or middle name of Job in their day-to-day life, we
will establish a newsletter and informal organization. We will then promote the
organization in the hope of finding other Jobs. What do you think?
February 12, 2003 -- Called WGN Radio's Steve (man) & Johnnie (woman)
Website Wednesday program and was delighted when they shared some kind words about my
first name. "The world needs more Jobs" I emailed Steve a link to this web page
after they helped with a computer question. It would be great to talk with them -- and any
other radio or TV program host -- about this quest to find other people named Job.
September 8, 2002 -- Just discovered mention of French Chief of the Air Staff,
General Job. He's in the front cockpit of a Dassault Rafale on page 83 of volume 4,
International Air Power Review. Who can tell me more about this fellow? What's his first
name?
Internationally renowned genealogist Richard Henthorn shared his list of Jobs in the
history of the Conger family. That research may be found here.
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