odd jobs - part 1

Hearing so much about jobs (or lack thereof) in the news lately caused me to reflect on some jobs I've had in the past. I think it's important for teenagers to have at least part-time jobs to cover some expenses and learn about the real world. I have lots of memories of the different places I worked. Some still bring a smile to my face.

One of the interesting jobs I has was two summers in college working at a windowless warehouse with adults anywhere from 18 to 60. Interesting not so much for the work but for the other workers and the things I saw and heard there. The first shift consisted of what were called the "lifers", or the people that had been there long enough to move up to normal working hours. They were surly but dependable so they would stay there until retirement. Next was second shift where I worked. These people were mostly from the edges of society; busted for drunk driving, messy divorces, white collar and high school dropouts, and a handful of college students like me. They had colorful personalities, interesting life stories full of bad decisions, and were mostly hard workers and trying to make a living. Third shift was 'Night of the Living Dead' because of the trance-like state in which they entered the building. They were either stoned or had been under the stoned so often in the past that they were burned out.

2nd shift was definitely the best to work on. I liked the way people were given degrading nicknames and mocked at every opportunity but also that no one ever took it seriously. I think that's why everyone had a persona, which worked like a plate of armor against outside attacks.
Since then I've always appreciated people like the ones I met in those summers. They were 100% genuine.