This one was enjoyable for me to think of but boring for you.
I have been thinking about how lucky we were to grow up where we could have anything we wanted if we learned to do it ourselves.....I remember Dad saying I could have new dresses as long as I made them, he had equipment for the farm because he learned to fix, or make it. I have watched neices and nephews, brothers and sisters and now my kids get in and do things themselves so that they can have what they need or enjoy...it is great.
I assume first job means working somewhere other than at home .... however I would bring up a few chores that I think count as jobs.
Like....feeding calves, Mixing up the formula into buckets with a nipple on the side, trying to get the buckets attached to the fence before the calves latched on, because soon as the calves latched on they would head butt the bucket to get the milk to come down just like on a mother cow. I am glad I was not a mother cow.
Gathering the eggs was a simple job as far as time goes but hard in that some chickens won't give up their eggs willingly. ( I have mentioned that in an earlier post)
Corn topping was definitely a job. Early morning hours, work with some fun and some very annoying people, etc. Some times freezing some times boiling some times very wet, some times too dry, sometimes back breakingly short and others back breakingly tall.
The corn pictured up above was field corn but we did have some we had to carefully bend it over to reach the tassel to pull it out.
I always enjoyed the tractor work unless I had to drive through a ditch. I don't like tipping at all. Picking fruits and vegetables was work too but with a reward. Another work day would be chicken day, I used to be amazed at how easy Mom made everything look. I think my favorite part was singeing the hairs or last feathers off.
Now my first job ... The most memorable was the year I actually put out applications between college days. As I look back I am very thankful for those other jobs listed above because I had enough savings to go through school and most of college without having to work outside of the farm. However one summer I realized that some extra money would be needed soon and I had better learn to find a job. I read the ads etc. I went to the hospital to apply for a dishwasher job, I wanted something only for the summer, I also remember applying for a sewing job at a curtain factory. I was very lucky to hear from the hospital first, even though I did hear from the factory and went to learn more. (I would not have done very well there) I put out other applications but didn't hear back and have since forgotten what they all were. The hospital wouldn't hire me as a dishwasher...they wanted very much to hire me as a dietitian assistant, trying to encourage me to change my major. The catch was they wanted more that two plus a little months....I really couldn't pass it up so I let BYU know that I would be coming for the winter semester instead of the fall. Tough decision but I am glad I took the job even though it didn't convince me to change my major. It was a great job early morning two different shifts, great people and I learned a lot about nutrition which certainly helped me get through some of my next nutrition classes. It didn't help me get through chemistry though which would have been very necessary if I had wanted to change. I worked with patients (helping them understand that if they insisted on having bacon they had to give up this and this etc.) delivered trays and cleaned up, even made coffee (sad that they had the one that hates even the smell of coffee make it for the whole hospital-I will bet that some coffee drinkers gave it up after their stay) If I get cancer of the lungs it will be from second hand smoke from that year...it was awful and used to amaze me that people that work with sick people all smoked. I am glad places have become smokeless since that day. I remember sewing the smocks that I needed for this job too ... lime green.
Luckily I haven't had to fill out applications since BYU....my other jobs came around because of who people think I am, kind of like living the gospel is that best way of doing missionary work. And I am back to working for doctors...but I do enjoy it.
1 comment:
Kayleen, that was not boring at all! I love hearing about all of the experiences my parents and aunts and uncles had growing up because you grew up in a world that is so different than the one I know. it's amazing.
My first job (outside of doing odd jobs for my Dad at his CPA practice) was right when I turned sixteen, at the Gap at the Mall in Boise. The first surprise was getting the job in the first place. I've never been a fashionista, and I was sure the interviewers would see my "sticking out like a sore thumb" status very quickly. I had just gone around the mall and gathered applications from every store that was hiring, and the Gap took the bait. :)
The first week, I came home crying because I thought I would NEVER know all the features of all the jeans and the shirts so that I could help customers pick the ones that would be right for them. I was blessed to pick it up, and I still remember things about the Gap that I would never have imagined I would know in my entire life.
Surprise number two: I actually liked it. I found I liked working with people, and even though I was never confident in picking out clothing for myself, I got okay at picking them out for other people.
Totally unexpected and totally right. :)
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