In yesterday's local newspaper there was an article about a woman who has been the secretary for a law firm here for the past 50 years. Amazing! How many people can claim such a loyal work history? Certainly not I. Heck, if I continued to be in the same job I had 50 years ago, I'd still be delivering newspapers for the Fredonia Daily Herald. Now that's a scary thought.....The absolute worst aspect of being a paper carrier was being chased by dogs. Not even the fastest Schwinn in town could get past some of them. I once had a hellish encounter with a German shepherd that caused me to lose control of my bike during a frantic getaway. I ended up sheltering my body with the fallen bike, crying, until the dog lost interest, then got up on bloodied knees to pedal myself home. Even today, just seeing an untethered dog practically puts me into a catatonic state.
As if dodging Rin Tin Tin five evenings a week wasn't enough, we carriers had to make collections on Saturdays. While most customers were willing to pay the going rate, 15 cents a week, and some of the "rich folks" even paid a month in advance (60 whole cents!!) there were those cranks who made life miserable.
"The paper costs too much!"
"There's never any news in it!"
"I can't find my punch card!"
"I can't find my billfold!"
"I'm busy! Come back later!"
Geez, it was only 15 cents. What was the big deal? I just wanted to get the collections made, pocket my few bucks profit, and have the rest of the day to play with my lucky, non-paper carrying friends.
You know what? That lady can keep her lousy job of 50 years!
6 comments:
Well the earliest job I had was at the Paddock supper club and it was only 12 or 13 years ago. I don't think I could have handled that very long.
My first job was a dockhand at Cherokee Yacht Club on Grand Lake. I loved the job, but HATED waiting on the rich people hand and foot. They couldn't even take out their own trash!! I might still be there had I pushed some of them overboard!
What was your job at the Paddock, Sarah? Washing dishes? Waiting tables? Tara, the yacht club wouldn't have been so bad if the rich people had rich sons. My second job was babysitting and my third job....age 15, was as a housekeeper for a teacher and her husband, the school superintendent. I had to iron his boxer shorts!!!!!!! That totally creeped me out.
EWWWWWWWW!! I can't even imagine that. Cute sons yes, but they still didn't know how to take out the trash. I had to jump down in the engine compartment and change the oil in their yacht while the pretty boys watched. Geesh!
I was a bus girl at first then became a waitress. Getting change for tips and one time someone wrote on a napkin, "Don't eat yellow snow."
Nice.
I worked at the library the summer I was 13. My job was to put all the books into milk crates and move them from the library to the empty store next to the pool hall and not get them out of order. About a year and a half later I got to move them all into the new library again. I continued to work at the library until I was out of high school. When I was 16 I wen to work at the hospital as a nurse's aid. Kept that job until I got married as could work there three nights a week, 11-7 and still go to college. Sometimes I wonder if this is why I can't sleep.
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