Warm crab anyone?
Back in the day (pre-marriage, pre-babies, pre-bachelor’s degree –in other words when I still had a “normal” amount of free time), I worked for Red Lobster. No, this wasn’t my worst job, but I thought it was. You see, as a waitress I cried. A lot. My face would flush red with heat whenever anyone -mostly attitudinal women- would give me a giant attitude problem for something that was far beyond my control like not having enough clean silverware.
I made great money for a broke college student who only wanted to work Friday through Sunday 4pm – 1am. After about 3.5 years of living what seemed like a job with far too much stress I left Red Lobster and moved on to…
Builder’s Square. By the far, the worst job I have ever had. In fact, I still get anxiety thinking about that stupid job. Let me break it down for you…
- Bad pay. I got a tad less than minimum wage which was only $6.25 at the time.
- B -O-R-I-N-G. On so many levels. Be a cashier ringing up wood, paint, nails, toilets, lamps and home improvement equipment all day in a cookie-cutter suburban neighborhood alongside people who were racially, genetically, philosophically, spiritually different than me totally sucked. Completely.
- Being that I left Red Lobster for the stress, it was like leaving the fastest car in the world for something slower and transitioning to a tricycle. The transition was much too abrupt. I remember once going into the bathroom & screaming at the top of my lungs out of boredom induced frustration. When someone came in to help, I lied and said I stubbed my toe.
After that 1st measly paycheck, I ran back to Red Lobster on my hands and knees begging them for mercy.
And so as it turns out, like most everything else in the world, I just needed a little perspective. When I went back to the giant red crab, I realized how much I laughed while I was at work. I realized how much I enjoyed extroverting all of the restaurant with the 5-10 new people I met every hour. I realized how much I enjoyed working in an Urban neighborhood that had mostly minority patrons. And when I realized that I could make in one weekend the same thing in two weeks at Builder’s Square? Well, that just about sealed the deal.
Today was one of those days that reminded me how much I love and appreciate my job with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. I was on campus meeting freshman today and introducing them to the Collegiate, Black & Christian student chapter. I love having conversations with freshman. I love asking them where their from, why they chose WMU, what their spiritual backgrounds are, what are their biggest goals for the year, etc.
Freshmen especially, are always so wiling to talk. Their new, mostly alone, fairly intimidated and hoping to be accepted. And then I walk up smiling at them, extroverting all over them and THE WEIRDEST PART ABOUT ALL OF IT is that I get paid to. It’s almost scandalous because I enjoy it so much!
My favorite moment of the day was when two international students -one from South Korea & the other China- gave me *BIG* hugs after I introduced myself, showed them where some key buildings where and told them where they could get a free lunch every Thursday afternoon while practicing their English with other folks. They were so genuinely grateful, smiling and hugging and bowing and all. It was like I had given them each a $100 bill or something.
Me (in the RED dress, of course --on left) with my super awesome students a few years ago.
Anyway, far far far from my worst job, working for InterVarsity is the best job I’ve ever had. I love it. The one-to-one student interaction, the staff, the conferences, the travel, the deep Bible study, the training, the flexibility, the family-friendly atmosphere. It’s really quite great. Yes, I know you’ve likely gone mad with all my complaining about the fund development aspects of my time on IV staff, yet it’s the challenges that I NEED. That I long for even…
Because once I get bored, I take to screaming in bathrooms and lying about stubbed toes.
Thank God, there are NO Builder Square’s in my city to remind me of those awful days of being a cashier.
So, what’s your worst or BEST job ever???
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Worst job ever – putting lipstick tubes on an assembly line in intense heat 8 hours a day for minimum wage. It was the summer after my high school graduation, and my dad insisted that I do something like this so I would appreciate my college education. Wise man, my father. During our breaks the other line workers would talk about their dreams for the future — winning the lottery, marrying a milliionaire … they probably are still working there and still nursing those pipe dreams (though more bitterly now). Whenever I am tempted to feel sorry for myself, I remember those line workers and thank God that I don’t have to stand in one spot for hours at a time, that I get to work in air conditioning, that so many options have been opened to me because I had the privilege of a college education. Since that time, every job I’ve had has been the best job ever.
I have at many times in my life thought, wow this is the worst job every, but as I have left those jobs and matured (ie grown up) I have realized that they were not that bad after all. I try now to remind myself, we all have bad days, I have a pity party and then I put my big girl panties on and get over it.
I cried a lot as a waitress too and I was pretty BAD at it, hence the crying!
Worst job ever – Working as a telemarketer. They recruited students by promising them big bucks ($7/hr!!!) I figured that even if it stunk I could do it. I mean, it was noble right? I was raising funds for American Cancer Society. What I failed to remember is I’m a HORRIBLE sales person, take everything personal & EVERY time someone said no or berated me for calling them at home, I would cry! Yup, every time! Which means I pretty much spent 3 days crying before I finally quit & decided sales was not my thing. No matter how much I made an hour!