This is a post about why I hate work, mostly… But, I felt like I couldn’t leave you with a depressing post about why I hate work, so I thought I would tell you a story that showcases the times when I love work.
First, why I hate work:
So I have my summer job I started last year that actually applies to my future teaching plans. I also really enjoy my summer job because it is really fun. (It’s a bit more complicated than that, but it’s only been six months and I only remember the good things.)
Meanwhile, I have my current job that pretty much believes that if you’re working there, you’re working there for life. And who really wants to be a retail slave forever? I sure don’t.
But, a full-time position has opened up in a department that I am knowledgeable about and where I especially get along with the other employees in that area. Ninety percent of the time, I make or surpass my sales goals. When I am not with customers or putting away go backs, I find projects, like folding tables or sizing racks. I even get people to sign up for store cards. And until I go back to my summer job, I have a completely open schedule.
But, because I have my summer job (which I told them about in October and it’s not until the end of June), they will not give me consistent hours.
I can’t survive on three hours a week on minimum wage. Everything about me is wonderful, except my short time away during the slowest retail season.
If I was leaving during Christmas, I would totally understand. But I’m not. So I don’t.
On a happier note, here’s a story showcasing something I love about work.
I was working the closing shift on friday and it was the middle of the afternoon. The Justin Beiber movie opened this weekend, so my area was full of hordes of screeching middle schoolers. It got worse as the night went on (and my go backs were terrifyingly large).
But the evening started off slowly with two middle schoolers: one girl and one boy.
The girl was trying on some of our dresses while the boy was waiting for her diligently outside the fitting rooms.
I came over to clean them as she was showing him one of the dresses.
“How does this look?” she asked. “What do you think? What do you think?”
“I think it looks really cute on you.” I told her as I was signing off for the hour and grabbing some jeans.
“Yeah.” the boy stammered.
“The employee is giving me more compliments than you!” she huffed, but didn’t seem too upset.
The boy leans over to me. “You know that new movie that’s out?”
I don’t know what it is about boys and not being very descriptive, but it’s nice to know they start young. (You may remember Evan once had a similarly undescriptive statement in The Songfest Romance: “She has brown hair.”)
“Maybe? There are a lot of new movies out right now.”
“With Ashton Kutcher?”
“Oh and Natalie Portman. No Strings Attached.”
“Yeah, No Strings Attached.” He leaned in closer. “She thinks we’re like that.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or be disturbed, so I offered him a hug that he refused.
He also sweet talked me swearing up and down I wasn’t ten years older than him. Turns out I was eleven years older.
But he definitely made my day, because he was just a hysterical kid.
And it’s times like that that I really enjoy work.
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