This Blog
by
Cher’ley Grogg
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Past jobs teach respect, frugality, and management. Think about the first jobs people get after high school graduation. Sales people, stock boys or girls, waitresses or waiters, are the most common.
Things learned from these jobs were respect, loyalty, humbleness and the management of time and money. Responsibility played a key role in how a person lived their life. I worked as a waitress, which was a job I often reverted back to when I was in a pinch. Eventually, I bought and managed a restaurant.
An excerpt from “Stamp Out Murder”:
He didn’t notice the swinging door to his right or the young lady who came out it backwards carrying a bulky tray of drinks. James glimpsed something moving to his right, and he swerved to the left. He moved too slowly and caught the left elbow of the young lady as she turned. The tray full of drinks tottered and teetered. Liquids splashed. The woman moved the tray in circles with both hands supporting the bottom side. Bobbing her head and swaying her body, she steadied the tray. After she leveled the tray, she released a loud sigh.
Did I mention you had to learn acrobatic skills if you had worked in a restaurant? Alertness and gracefulness are added to kindness and not expressing your every emotion. In the restaurant business your livelihood depends on how another person envisions you.
A pasted on smile, James often used that expression to describe the people who worked at the Bed and Breakfast. Excerpt from “Stamp Out Murder”: The commotion brought Linda from the kitchen. She checked the coffee maker. She smiled at her guests, and motioned for Carolyn, to join her. “We have work to do in the kitchen.”
What do you expect from a person who is doing a service for you?
One time I spilled a whole pot of boiling hot coffee down the front of my shirt. I was on fire, but the restaurant was so busy there was no way I could leave. I put some ice on my chest and picked up my next order. I was 19 years old.
What was the first job you ever worked?
There are some real adventures in “The Secret in Grandma’s Trunk” too. This is an especially good book for your Tween Children and Grandchildren.
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Excellent post, Cherley. How well I remember by first job out of high school. I was a car hop and it was grueling. Not only did I have to carry trays of food inside and out, I had to keep the parking lot clean in my down time. I did such a good job I got promoted to inside server only to learn I had to polish the pie case when there were no customers! Sometimes it’s hard to put on a smile, but waiters and waitresses and other customer service people have to. Their jobs depend on it. Brings back a lot of memories – I learned to do my best and be proud of what I did, no matter what it was!
Linda, I think that’s so true. We learned a lot from our first jobs. Did you fly around on roller skates? We still, in my case, after all these years, have a pride about our first job. Cher’ley
No roller skates, but I sure wished I had them. Our car stations were far between and went around the whole restaurant – at times there were only two of us!
As a carhop! About one or two nights. No roller skates, either! Very hard work! Something to consider when writing.
Thanks Doris. I worked in tomato fields and babysat while I was in school. I went to college while my kids went to high school. Sometimes I feel like I’ m working 5 jobs. LOL
Often we write familiar occupation into our stories.
Oh how I loved watching those girls in short-skirts and roller skates, course I only watched cause they wanted to be watched, and I didn’t want to disappoint them.My first real job was nine hours a day and 8 on Saturday in a greenhouse for $35.00 a week. In retrospect, I should have bought a wit, a padded bra, and a pair of roller-skates.
Rod, you have no idea how hard that job was and we only made tips and a penance. Barb we learned a lot from those jobs, yes? Of course, we loved it when boys like Rod came along and tipped us really well.
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I don’t remember working immediately after high school, I was getting ready for college, however I started working while still in school and it was at an ice cream shop. Fortunately I didn’t like ice cream. I just remember working the 20 hours a week and trying to get school work done, etc. Talk about learning time management skills. I think that may be why I can still to this day do five part time jobs and still stay sane. (the statement about sane may be in question ). Great post and a lot said in a few lines. Thank you.
Thanks Doris. I worked in tomato fields and babysat while I was in school. I went to college while my kids went to high school. Sometimes I feel like I’ m working 5 jobs. LOL
I worked in a sweet shop while still at school. The hours were 1pm-8pm on a Saturday. That had advantages and disadvantages. I could play field hockey (my main sport) for my team in the morning, and still get to work, but by the time I finished the films in the cinemas were already started. This was the city of Glasgow, Scotland in 1967. You know what? As well as eating too much sugar, going to the ‘flicks’ with a boyfriend didn’t often happen. They didn’t much like me carrying my hockey stick either, since I never got home to change!
This made me laugh, thinking of you carrying your hockey sticks all over the place with you. The movies I went to in high school were Drive-In Theaters
My mom must have thought I had too much time on my hands. She volunteered my cleaning services to a nurse on Saturday mornings when I was twelve years old. No wig or roller skates required, Rod, just hard work.
There you are. LOL I started working at 12 too. Babysitting and Tomato fields and some restaurant work.