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Monday, January 2, 2012

WORK~#33 GBE2

I have been a waitress many places and many years.  I have been a hairdresser many places and for many years. I worked in 2 banks for a total of 5 years.  I worked at a bowling alley and also at a company that made awards and sold bowling equipment. I never 'worked' as a waitress or as a hairdresser.  They were jobs, but I enjoyed doing each of them so much that I never considered them work.  The bank positions were work.  I never really enjoyed working at either of them.  I enjoyed the bowling alley job and I loved bowling.  The awards company offered me a chance to learn to engrave both on machine and by hand.  I really loved the art of hand engraving.  I created some beautiful things while working at that job.  I also learned to do screen printing.  Not something I either enjoyed nor was I very good at that.  What I liked best about that job was that I made a few good friends who are still in my heart.  One of them has been my very best friend for over 35 years.  


I have always had to have a job.  I feel blessed to have had to work only a few years out of all those that I was earning a paycheck.  Working at the banks was not ever a terrible thing, it was just work.  Being responsible for all that money that  belongs to everyone but you, is a lot of pressure.  I made deposits of millions of dollars everyday at one job.  Money someone was moving or adding to someone else's trust account.  In some cases, I would be walking to the teller's window with several million dollars.  It terrified me.  Before depositing, I had to balance the funds moving through the entire trust department which would amount to millions everyday.  Once everything was balanced and properly accounted and sent to data processing, I had to physically walk the deposit from my building across the alley into the main branch and give the teller my cash, checks or vouchers.  I never relaxed while making this walk.  A locked leather bag with several million dollars in my hand does not make for a nice laid back stroll.  I have not ever thought of returning to that position.  Every day was work.


I was a teller at the second bank.  A roving teller, actually.  I went from location to location to fill in for vacations and sick leaves and was stationed at the main office when no one needed a replacement.  I tried really hard to like this job.  I never did.  Again, walking into the vault and signing out a few thousand dollars to put in my cage and then being responsible for that until 4:30 PM, was very stressful.  I stayed at this job until I was given a proposition which I couldn't accept.  If I wasn't interested in "having dinner and desert" with my direct supervisor, I would no longer be needed.  I wasn't interested.  I was 22 years old with 2 babies and a husband that I loved.  I was no longer needed and when I went to the VP to report this. I was told, "Tellers are a dime a dozen.  Good men like ***** are hard to find."  I understood.  This was long before sexual harassment had been labeled.  It was just a good ole boys world and I was expendable.  I never looked back.


With those two exceptions all my jobs were pleasurable.  How lucky am I?  Doing hair was never a job, either.  I could never believe people got paid to do what I was doing.  I went in every day excited to see who would be in my chair and what I could do for them.  It was a new challenge every day all day long.  I never felt like I was doing a job, though I loved that I had such an incredible one, it was always my pleasure.  Over the years, I worked for a private salon being paid commission, a corporate salon being paid a salary plus commission, I rented chairs and I once owned my own salon for 4 years.  Each was a different experience and I honestly loved every opportunity I had behind the chair.  I retired twice from this profession, but I will always be a hairdresser.  It was never what I did, but who I am.  Creativity and loving people were my draws to this business and they are who I am.  I made a decent living doing hair and I made lifelong friends.  Does it ever get better than that?


Waiting tables was originally just a way to make quick money and get cash every day. It turned out to be such joy that I sort of forgot that it was a money making proposition.  I continued to wait tables after I could easily have moved on to other things.  I really enjoyed interacting with the staff and mostly the diners.  Here, I also made some lifelong friends.  It was not a job, it was a good way to pay my bills and make friends.  


Now, however, I am retired.  I am staying retired unless finances deem that I need to return to the workforce.  If that were to happen, I would probably go find a chair to rent or a corporate salon that's hiring and once again, make money just doing what I love.  


The time I now have for projects and writing and hanging with Momma is absolutely
wonderful.  I have no regrets about hanging up my license, but I did renew it this past fall, just in case!  


Jo







43 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing that Jo. Few are lucky to do the work they love. Enjoy your other projects now and have a wonderful 2012.

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  2. Suzy, I appreciate you stopping by and commenting. I have been very fortunate most of my life, I think.

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  3. I love getting to know you better through blogs like this. I did the floating bank teller job 1 summer. I also did the waitressing gig from the time I was 14 through the summer after I graduated high school. Like you, I enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. Thanks Kat. I say that all the time. Writers really reveal when they blog and that's how we become such good friends.
    We have a lot in common. Thank you for stopping and commenting.

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  5. Hair stylists and waitresses actually have a bit in common... they both deal with people on a personal basis. I enjoyed waiting tables when I was doing that, but I am glad it's not what I am doing now:-)

    If most of the work you have done can be counted as enjoyable, you have been a lucky lady indeed!
    Fun to learn about you Jo!

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  6. Artful...I could do it again, but shorter shifts! Old age would not allow for the doubles anymore, but a nice breakfast shift would be okay, if needed. I have indeed been lucky.

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  7. It's been said that "if you find a job you love, you'll never work a day in your life" and you certainly discovered that to be true, Jo.

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  8. Just knowing the two types of work that you loved tells me so much about the kind of person you are. You love people... Simple as that.

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  9. I agree with you that if you don't love what you do, it really is just a job! Wow! Can't believe you worked as a teller...I work at a bank now in HR. Funny how we have things in common! Great post and glad that you have time to be with Momma now!

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  10. I never thought about that aspect of working in a bank; I'm afraid my stress would be more about resisting running off with the haul! Just kidding. Sort of. ;)

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  11. Expendable...humph! YOU ARE NOT!!! What jerks.

    One thing I know for sure, if I were somehow hired to do any of the jobs that you did, I would have been fired before the day is out.

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  12. I love this!!! You are obviously so much more of a people person than I am!!!! I understand about keeping your license. I have a Journeyman Electrician's License for the City of Chattanooga, and God willing I'll never have to do electrical work in Chattanooga again, but for $20 a year, I won't risk closing that door!

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  13. Enjoyed the story about your job at the banks. It caused me to remember my job at the Morgue and now I will write about it, and hope you find time to read it. If not, maybe others will find it interesting and read what I write. I am still learning about how to write an interesting blog. I am learning from great writers like you.;)

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  14. Sounds like you are a people person who also likes to be in a 'warm' environment...I'm with you! I'm glad you found your places you loved to work along the way. We can't waste precious life on negative or stressful situations and environments...not worth it!

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  15. Paula...So true.

    Darlene...Yep, I do love people. I also loved making people feel better about themselves every single day! What a great career choice.

    Susan...I think we have a ton of things in common! I see it often in your writings.

    Steven...It never occurred to me to even think about taking a penny! It was quite the opposite, I worried more than I would make a mistake and someone would THINK I took money. It was not for me.

    Amy...You are so sweet! Just for the record, everyone is expendable in the work place. I was fired from two jobs in my life and each was a learning experience. The bank I guess you can see how that would benefit me. Never allowed myself to be in the position of being alone with anyone who might cost you your job. The other time I learned a much bigger lesson. For the remainder of my working years, if I were in a position of hiring and firing, I found a way to allow people to leave my employ with their dignity intact.

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  16. It's very cool that you've enjoyed all the jobs you've had. Great way of looking at them!

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  17. Cindy...Nothing wrong with not wanting to work with the public, unless you are doing so and don't want to. lol I loved every minute of serving people.

    Sondra...thank you. I will be looking for the morgue blog! How can that not be interesting?

    Anna...Life is way too short to compromise yourself for any length of time.

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  18. Jenn...If you're gonna look back, I think it's good to be honest with yourself!

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  19. I don't think I can add more than those who commented before me, but heck yes, you are a people person. You must have stories aplenty to write about. There is something unique about the services profession unlike all the rest -- dealing with people, living to tell the tale, always wearing a smile even if you want to club 'em. You still write with a smile in your heart and as you said, you were blessed to have had a wonderful time.

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  20. Brenda...Seriously always enjoyed working with people and seldom lost patience, when I did, it wasn;t pretty!

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  21. Jo
    You are a woman of great integrity. I was not at all surprised that you said no to the proposition. I am also not surprised that you loved doing hair and waitressing. So glad you had so much fun.

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  22. Laura...That is the nicest thing to say. Thank you very much. Does it sound unbelievable that most of my life has been fun? I had a few bad years, but since I survived the divorce that nearly did me in, I've really had a decent life. I've surely had my share of heartache, but it's always balanced out in the end. Just gotta say God has been good to me.

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  23. I loved reading this! I was a teller and vault teller for years! Oh, the stories I could tell and during that time what I realized about myself at 19 years old. Realization and heartbreak and.....

    Thanks for sharing, Jo! i'm so glad you are happy! :0)

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  24. You made great friends everywhere you went Jo? Huh. I would have thought you made super-duper friends! I am just glad to be counted as one of the millions!

    Oh, and since you like to serve people so much, will you help me reshingle my roof next summer?

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  25. I notice that the two careers you enjoyed most were the ones where you connect with, talk to, and help people. Makes perfect sense. ♥

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  26. Seems like we are very similar indeed :)

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  27. I have always wanted to do hair. Without a license, I've been known to trim up a few friends and relatives hair--and give them an updo or two. I always found it fun to take someone else's hair and give it a fresh look--but never pursued it beyond a few of my friends.

    Great post!! Jenn.

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  28. Beachlover...I had no clue you were a teller. I hope it wasn't as stressful for you as it was for me!

    Mike...You are def one of the millions and about the shingling thing, can that be done from the front or back yard? No laddering in my future.

    Beth...People contact is necessary for me.
    Oh, and for you as well, I think.

    Claudia...I've been tellin' you this.

    Jenn...I always said doing hair is the best possible job. You have a client who wants 'something new' no idea what. You talk, you look at pics and you decide. Then you do it. Then he/she walks out just a little straighter and a little more confident. It's a wonderful job!

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  29. Ah, Jo, if anyone deserves a relaxing retirement it's you...... I hope your days are wonderful and filled with laughter.

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  30. Awwww...how sweet! Thanks buddy. They pretty much are exactly that. :) ♥

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  31. This was great, Jo! Sorry about that experience with the VP from the bank. That dirty rat! I can see how cutting hair and waitressing would be fun. I'm not sure I would be a very good waitress. I'd probably mess all the orders up!

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    1. Waitressing was fun. Seriously fun. Hard work, but the good customers make the day fly by.

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  32. Once again I'm envying someone for doing what they love in these "work" comments. Great post, I can see why walking across that alley with millions made you nervous.

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  33. pbq...It did indeed, but it was really the whole idea of massive responsibility that stressed me out. The service industry was just made for me. Or I was meant to serve, not sure, but it was a perfect fit for me as long as my legs held up! lol I could still do it part time, but for now I am so pleased to be unemployed.
    Thanks for comin' by and chatting it up a bit.

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  34. I am selling some hair-straightening and curling irons in my online shop and for awhile,yeah, I really enjoyed hair styling like you!

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  35. Feathered Pen...It's a wonderful career. Takes a lot of dedication and desire to make a living, but it's so worth it.

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  37. You know, Jo, I never knew tellers and bank workers literally had to walk back and forth with so much cash on them! It's a terrifying thought and I can totally understand how it would be stressful work. Glad to hear you are now'working' at being retired. Enjoy ;o)

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  38. It sounds like you have worked hard, and had a lot of happy experiences :) Aside from the awful 'proposition' that ended your bank teller job :( I imagine he wouldn't get away with that now! You sounds like a very positive, happy person and I hope you are truly enjoying your retirement ~ you have earnt it!

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  39. Mojo...The tellers didn't walk anywhere except to the vault which is not far. The job I had to walk with was for the trust department and it happened to be located across an alley from the tellers windows. I'm good at this retirement thing! :)

    Chantell...He would most certainly not get away with that now, but that happened many years ago and in 1972 life was very much about the good ole boys and the girls. I learned from it and I survived so...onward and upward!
    I am a happy person because I choose to be one. Life can beat me up just like anyone else, but I decided long ago I like being happy.

    :)

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  40. I read the part about million dollars three times. Wow!
    I think the best part was knowing that you can still return to the work that you loved if you want to.
    I hope that I have a similar story in a few decades.Thanks for sharing

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    1. Me too! I have always needed to work to be satisfied. I liked waiting tables. I made great friends, and the fitness program could not be beat! I was also a cosmetologist that fell in love with natural nails and feet. It rarely felt like work. It was fun to know all the new trends and products. Now? I work for a loan company. It IS work! Great post!

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    2. I am sure you will have the same feeling once you have the position you love and people pay you to do it!

      How cool...and now you work for a loan company? Too structured for this free spirit! But ya gotta pay the bills. :)

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