My first job

I've toyed many times with doing a post about my first job, so when Kesley over at Seattle Smiths made it her Wishful Wednesday topic, I thought I'd jump on it!

Shortly after I finished my freshman year of high school I turned 15. I had a whole year of hell high school behind me and the entire summer off. I daydreamed of sleeping in, hanging out with my friends and catching up on all those crappy daytime shows I'd been missing out on. Or so I thought. My mom had other plans for me. I was getting my very first job.

Growing up I was spoiled. I'll admit it. But I wasn't a spoiled brat (most of the time). And yes there is a difference. Someone who's spoiled wants for nothing. Their parents provide pretty much all their wants and needs, no questions asked, within reason of course. A spoiled brat gets everything, expects it and wants more on top of it.

So when my parents told me I was getting a job I was a little taken aback. Why? What do I need money for...you pay for everything I need? Apparently they thought I needed to learn responsibility and to make my own spending money. Hmph.

Well when you're only 15 the job opps are pretty limited. Grocery store or fast food. Plus it had to be somewhere within walking distance of the house because I couldn't drive yet. Well lucky for me, if you want to call it luck, my older brother worked at the Arby's just up the street. Slinging roast beef and fries all summer long....with my brother?? Sigh. Sounds like more of a death sentence than a job, but off I went.

My first day there I got assigned the task of cleaning out all the garbage bins. I still remember exactly how many there were. Six. Couldn't be so bad right? Wrong. It took me my entire shift to scrub out each one including the metal tray they sat in and the cabinets which hid all their disgustingness. Apparently dried ketchup and grease doesn't come out as easily as one might think. It was gross. Plus it was about 110 degrees outside where I was hosing them down and I'm pretty sure a swarm of bees was involved. I got home that night, took of my grease laden uniform and vowed I was never going back.

Well I did. And to tell you the truth it wasn't so bad. I will even say we often had fun. Fun at a fast food place? I know....I was shocked too. I found my niche working the drive thru which beat hosing down trash cans. In fact I later discovered it rarely got done and usually only by the rookies who were too dumb to know any different. Thanks brother for cluing me in on that one. Ass. He was probably the one who told them I should do it. I look back on my Arby days with fond memories and can still tell you how much a number 1 combo cost and how long it took to cook the homestyle fries vs curly fries vs chicken. And I remember how excited I was when minimum wage went up and I got a raise from $4.25 to 4.65. Woah big spender! Some things I guess you just never forget.