Let's talk about something entirely off-topic and hopefully fun at the same time. My choice of topic is Your First Job! (or your first several jobs!)
My first jobs were:
- Gopher - for a Construction Company building Solar Condos in Dover, PA! 1975 Pay $5.00/hr. under the table. Cut my index finger on the first day and severed an artery (blood spurting for 10 minutes until I could get it stopped). Difficulty level 3/5
- Carny- mostly at the ping pong ball/win a dead fish stand 1976 Pay was unknown and also under the table. Sometimes we would travel all the way to Virginia, it would rain and we would be paid nothing. Other times we would be just a few miles away on a big day and I would make $hundreds. Difficulty level 4/5, mostly setting up and tearing down. Convincing people to try to win a dead fish was incredibly easy!
- House Painter - for a born-again ex-teacher who had 12 children (hence the ex-teacher part). 1977-1978 I used to run 8 at 6:00AM, work all-day, and then 8 at 6:00PM 5 days a week. Did nothing but sleep, run, work, run, sleep... Rainy days were off, and a major blessing!!! Pay $5.00/hr. I was a fairly good painter and was always forced to be on the highest ladders. Difficulty level 5/5
- Playground Leader - both in York and in State College. 1979-80 Pay $5.50/hr. In York, I was located at Rocky Ridge Park for the Day Camp. Hikes in the woods were a great combo with twice daily runs. In State College, I was commended 3 separate times when I had actually done things in a sub-par fashion. Luck was definitely on my side. My afternoon park was located in Stormstown, near the Shisler's homestead. I once judged the yo-yo contest at the season ending parks competition at Sunset Park. I allowed a young Jay Paterno into the finals despite not performing the requisite tricks to qualify. I hope to one day remind him of that.
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| An unpaid job giving the morning announcements at Dover High. (Today's lunch is fish sticks...) |