In hindsight, my firstnewspaper job was one of the best. I didn’t really know it at the time, because I was under a lot of stress to produce the main story for the Sunday paper’s feature pages. I was 24, just out of journalism grad school, living in western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh, in a place I didn’t know, and every Thursday night I was sweating over that week’s feature article due the next morning. I had spent the previous days collecting interviews and observations—visiting a kindergarten class, riding a freight train, driving with Beaver County’s last milkman, meeting a taxidermist, talking to musicians like jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and bluesman BB King in town for concerts—and now I had to figure out how to turn my scribbled notes and jumble of thoughts into a compelling article.
I was green, lacking the experience and increased confidence that comes with the repetition of writing and writing. And if I mucked up? If it was boring or made no sense? Tens of thousands of readers (not to mention my editor) would see it. I had some long, painful Thursday nights. But it’s hard to overstate how much I loved the freedom to come up with story ideas, meet interesting people, crack jokes in the newsroom, and mostly avoid sitting behind a desk, static and stuck. Later, I would have the experience of covering news-breaking stories and working out of the London bureau of The New York Times, making a movie on location, editing a national magazine, teaching a class of talented grad students, even shooting video of an opera I was co-producing in Helsinki. But this job—feature writer for The Beaver County Times? This was living.
Last year Americaexperienced “The Great Resignation” as millions of employed people decided to quit their jobs and seek something else. In November and December alone, that number totaled over 8.8 million, with reasons as varied as the desire to make more money, seek better benefits, avoid omicron, get out of retail or food service, end a long commute, find a more flexible work schedule, or just plain live better. Many of those lucky enough to work remotely from home during the pandemic discovered there’s a better way than the usual 9-to-5 grind.
I suspect many are asking with new eyes, “What’s the best job for me?” With that in mind, I’m wondering: What’s the best job you’ve ever had? Or maybe you want to share the opposite—the worst job you ever had. (Mine was a long month stacking cans of motor oil.)
As always, I look forward to reading about your experiences and the chance for this community to share with each other.
I have had many jobs all over this country. Sales, casino dealer, legal assistant, stock exchange and more. Of all these jobs, it was working for the State of Nevada Unemployment Dept. during the Iraq War I enjoyed the most. Nevada is bordered with five states and people were pouring into the City of Las Vegas. I had quit working as a dealer to save my sanity and got a job processing unemployment claims. It paid next to nothing, but I have a way with forms and a desire to help people in times of utmost stress. I was, ahem, helping too many people out of the box and the Office Manager told me I was only allowed one a day to go outside the lines. She put me in charge of several projects and I was beyond happy knowing I was finally doing something worthy. Dealing cards and selling clothes and makeup can be fun, but, at the end of the day, there is nothing there. Also, working with lawyers (which I did for most of life) tends to be annoying. I did love probate (dead people) and that is fun. Howard Hughes in particular. So, the worst paying job in my life was my best. I wish I could have stayed.
At the age of 15 I worked the summer as a cub reporter at the Middletown (NY) Times Herald. Near the end one afternoon I was sitting alone in the newsroom listening the old presses thudding out the day's afternoon paper. One my stories was in it. I remember now, 70 years later, saying to myself "I don't want to do anything else in my life." I didn't.
I’ve had many jobs, never a 9-5, from roofer to puppeteer to standup, but my favorite job was as Post Production Supervisor for a series of WB home videos called Celebrate the Century and Legends Icons & Superstars of the 20th Century, working for Bob Guenette and David Wolper. Bob’s genius was he took video, newsreels, and films and wove a compelling documentary. At one point it was the best selling VHS for Warner Home Video. We collected footage from all over the world, we had raw footage of Mao Stalin all the Nazi stuff Mandela Michael Jackson Led Zeppelin the Beatles Elvis the assassination of Anwar Sadat and all the MGM musicals, just endless amazing video, and it was our job to watch it! We had Wynton Marsalis for the musical transitions, and a full orchestra for the music. I went on to produce many hours of television but I never again had a job as fun as that.
My favorite job was doing a sold out mime and comedy performance at a museum benefit when I was 19 in Scranton PA. My worst was picking daffodils in Northern CA for $.06 a bundle of 10 when I was 18. I was relieved when I reacted to to the daffodil ‘juice’ with swollen hands.
I will talk about my best job, however, I want to gather my thoughts for a time...Before I share that though, Steven has inspired me by inviting us all to Read "Unthinkable" and join in a zoom discussion about the book, to suggest to everyone who has access to Amazon prime Video, or wherever they can see it, to see The Masterclass "Black History, Black Freedom and Black Love". It is there that you will discover the history of our country you were not taught in school and to this day is continuously happening...
I was a college professor for over 30 years and an associate dean for about half that as well. Although there were occasionally cranky colleagues and weird meetings, the chance to introduce students to new ideas and books (I was in English) and to learn about all the wonderful things my colleagues in the College of Arts and Sciences were doing was great!
So many jobs at this point but I take your point on local journalism gigs. I've had two, one in Livingston, Montana that is a 5 day a week paper for very low wages. I practically wrote the thing myself and fried out after six months. Mostly I couldn't afford to do it for $9.50 an hour. I got to meet local celebrities, the head one being Tom McGuane. This why I went there in the first place. I also enjoyed my work as a federal fisheries biologist, albeit only seasonal all over the place but those twenty seasons were fodder for a memoir, Against a Strong Current; Travels of an outlaw fishery biologist. Acting gigs in LA were very fun but hard to get into in a meaningful way. I'd like to do that again, though.
My absolute favorite job was my first one in small market radio in Gardner, MA in the early-70s while in high school. I had creative freedom and unlimited opportunity to grow. It was so intensely pleasureful that I'd forget to eat meals! I ended up on-air at WNBC, New York in 1977 before I graduated from B.U. (I commuted back and forth between Boston and NYC for my last semester thanks to durable genes and youth), and everything I've done professionally since has had very grateful connections to those early, very first days in radio.
I want to share both the good and the bad. The worst was a temporary employment job working for the city at the city dump. As a teacher, unless you budgeted all year (which was almost impossible on our meager two salaries and trying to own a home with a 50 mile commute one way), you had to work during your "vacation time' This year was odd, since it was the first time Los Angeles USD tried to put everyone on a year round schedule. My schedule was an eight week break a week before Christmas until after February 1. You can imagine how panicked one would be when the bread winner has no income right after the holidays. So off to the temp agency I had worked for before and I was assigned to the dump in the Christmas tree recycling area at a wage that was about 15% of my normal wages. My job was to unload the discarded trees into a pile by the mulching center, and to keep the area clean of all other trash. It was an eight hour job, sunrise to sunset, in all weather conditions. It's raining, and the trees get heavier, and you are up to mid-shin in mud of the compacted dirt they use to cover the trash. Or, you begin your shift, and it suddenly gets colder and you watch the latest snow storm race across the valley to your location. Now you are in freezing temps, your hands and feet are numb, its snowing and the trees are heavier. I lasted three weeks, until El Nino forbade us to go back to work, since we were not city employees.
My favorite job was as a high school social studies teacher and sports coach in LAUSD and a small rural district in northern LA County (total of 16 years before becoming a school administrator). Granted my commute was horrible from the high desert to the city each day, but I looked forward to engaging with my students, hoping that I made history and civics interesting, relevant and important to them. I looked forward to our discussions even when we were on opposite ends of the argument. I enjoyed coming up with lesson plans that got them engaged, working together or against each other, compromising, and seeing the light come on over their heads when the lesson and ideas hit home. It was empowering to see how I helped them gain insights and skills they did not have when they first walked into the door.
Coaching gave both my students and me a different perspective of both of us, and I got the chance of teaching teamwork and sportsmanship. Sure, it was not easy on some of the meager salaries some districts pay, the long hours on site and off time you sacrifice. But most of us will tell you that our biggest reward for all of this was when at the end of the year, or even years later, that struggling student comes back to say thank you. I always did , as I do now, get a lump in my throat each time that happened. That's what makes teaching all the worthwhile.
I suppose my best job (and I mentioned that at the time to everyone I knew) was managing editor of a national law and politics magazine. What I liked about it was the team I was working with, and how I felt my part played a role. I miss that. Nowadays, there's NO ONE in the office, and all our meetings are via Zoom. I suppose every bad job has its perks: over five years ago I was a men's locker room attendant at a local country club. Worst part: cleaning up after rowdy spoiled kids. Best part: great food and tips. Even folding towels and vacuuming could be considered honest, relaxing work. So, there you have it. Great question!
Feb 12, 2022·edited Feb 12, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss
From 1974 to 1985, I worked as a reporter for the two New Haven medium-sized dailies, advancing from covering small towns to the police beat and then federal courts. I recognized a few years in that the erratic hours would make it impossible to have kids so I started planning my escape. I attended night law school for four years, took the bar, passed and was licensed. In 1985, I took a job with a law firm, which turned out not to be my cup of tea. Knocking around with a law degree, I spent two years working in local government administration before finding my dream job, staff attorney for several state agencies. I love public policy and this was the place for me to be. It was only advancing age (70 in two months) and a significant adverse change in terms and conditions of my employment due to a union contract that made me decide to retire. I have now been retired for two weeks and I am taking full advantage of the opportunity to hike and ski during the week. As I look back, I recall that newspaper job as being a lot of fun, but I knew it would not be my life's work. I loved working in government. I retired reluctantly.
Retired now, I reflect on the many jobs in my 66 year old path, Paperboy, Liquor Store Clerk, Printing Press Operator, Bakery Shop Keeper, Dept. Store Salesman, Outside Sales Rep, Night & Weekend Dept. Store Floor Manager, Musician (and still today), I could go on…
Though, for me the best job I have had, aside of being a parent, was something that began as an interest/hobby then became a 22yr career. From 1996 until the spring of 2018 I was a Motion Picture and Television Still Photographer…
A bastion of creativity, interpersonal relationships and oppertunity…an environment of challenge, success, failure and redemption…
Without a college education, this narrow slice of “Professional Photographer” presented to me an opportunity to see what I was made of…Setting aside the photography, I believe with anything in life, success lies with how we navigate with others, being the kind of person that motivates others to want to work with YOU. That was my challenge, my goal and my purpose..Photography was merely the train I road to becoming the best Sam I could be, so I could make photographs.
Feb 12, 2022·edited Feb 12, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss
I have had three jobs that I really enjoyed. First came the job of going to University - I consider getting an education a job. If they paid you to go to school, that is what I would have done. Although I majored in history and political science, my favorite class was journalism. I love writing. Every Saturday morning at 8AM was a 2 hour lab, 25 typewriters clicking away in an agriculture building that smelled like hay. Instructor would give us details, then we had to write the 5Ws and a How . I got done in half an hour. I had an A, was told I didn't have to take the final, but I showed up anyway. Prof said,"What the hell are you doing here?"(I learned that journalism people swear a lot.) I said I didn't have anything else to do. He just put a big A on my paper and escorted me out the door.
A second job liked was one time substituting at a highschool in NJ. I had the classes of the cutups for the most part. I loved them. They messed around in chemistry. Sat in wrong seats when I took attendance, made jokes, and the thing is, what they thought was funny, I did, too. I guess I was the only teacher who appreciated them and showed it as they loved me back. Couldn't do enough for me, Walked along in the hall with me. If they saw me on Main Street, they yelled and hollered and waved hello. One looked exactly like George Thorogood;we kidded that he was bad to the bone.
That said, the job I enjoyed the best and counted for the most, was raising my three children who all turned out to be good citizens, caring, industrious, & smarter than several of the US Presidents, if those articles about IQs are correct. And I did it as a single mother, very little help from the ex.Those articles about kids of single mothers turning out to be bad characters are wrong.Money was always tight, I taught and sold real estate, sent two through Penn State. I prayed a lot. They have their own families now, are good parents, and although they have their own lives with work, children school and sports, and at times, I say I might as well live in Idaho for all I see of them, they are always there when needed, and I always get I love yous. : )
My favorite job: Performing as "Miss Harmony" at a local tourist spot. I was one of many musicians hired, to stroll with my guitar, slide up to random guests to play and sing a tune for them, or jump in with some of the other musicians and perform impromptu. The backdrop was an 1870's town. My background is Motown and Jazz... I was introduced to Bluegrass- to harmonize with some great guys was heaven!
The worst job: Working on an assembly line at a factory. The dust kept me sick the entire time! I lasted 3 weeks.
Steven, this question has brought the most interesting responses. Your readers are so diverse and such intellects. I have never had a bad job.
I started working in a bakery in South Carolina at 17. One day the cake decorator told me I was going to learn to make cakes and so I did. It was destiny as my grandmother decorated very ornate wedding cakes. When I was a child I would hang around the kitchen to watch her and after she admonished me to stay back, she would occasionally gesture me over and squeeze the icing on my tiny finger. The profession followed me and as I moved from state to state with my then Navy husband, I always landed in the bakery. I managed many of them, but finally ended up as the full time cake decorator in a large supermarket chain in Missouri. The community came to know me well as I stood behind the glass, on display. I loved that job, and stayed doing it long after having carpal release surgery on both wrists. It was a creative job and I was blessed to have been Union! Now I’m retired with a 35 year pension and I’m an author of 3 books. At 63, no grand babies yet, but some day ... I hope to squeeze icing on a tiny finger.
Working for another for a paycheck, well that would probably be stacking cans of oil, though not my favorite part of being a teenage old full service gas station gas pump jockey/fledgling grease monkey
It was satisfying, I loved it, learned all manner of things this old geezer still uses to this day, not the least of which was how to run a successful small business, how to create opportunity on my feet, and the pay wasn't too awful with commissions, it was enough anyway.
Check under the hood for ya?...Your good, little dirty though, you should change it soon, we're running a premium oil special this month, come see me, I'll throw in a lube job
So there I was in 1972 – a recent graduate from the London Film School – having dinner one evening in a Japanese Restaurant (my first) in Kathmandu, Nepal. I was with the Indian documentary filmmaker, Fali Bilimoria, who had hired me as his assistant (more or less on a whim), and Shama Habibullah whom Fali had appointed as the director of the film on which we were working, a documentary for UNICEF.
Truth be told, Fali could have directed the film himself, but he had given Shama the job since he was madly in love with her. But that love – regardless of Fali’s lavish attention – went entirely unrequited. I should add, though, that Shama is a notable filmmaker herself, so the appointment was not without merit. An aside: her brother, Waris Hussein, is the well-known director of several British films (among his many more prominent credits, it is worth noting that he directed the pilot episode of "Dr. Who"). But I digress…
We had ordered dishes that evening that came with raw eggs. Fali chose the moment, soon after we were served by the Japanese couple who owned the restaurant, to make an outrageously flirtatious comment to Shama. I’ve long forgotten exactly what it was that Fali had said, but Shama’s response is entirely fresh in mind: she picked up her egg and cracked it open on Fali’s bald pate.
Other patrons in the restaurant froze mid-bite, an immediate hush descending. I tried to stifle my laughter as I watched Fali react with a look of stunned consternation as raw egg dripped down his face. But he was quick to make light of the situation by breaking into a broad grin. The Japanese couple rushed over with napkins so he could mop up the egg. The flow of conversation resumed. Even Shama smiled.
I remember thinking – my heart swelling in anticipation as I mixed my egg into my brown rice – that this was just the beginning of what would prove to be a wonderful career as a writer and director. Over the next decade, I would go on to build a reputation as a prominent commercial filmmaker in Mumbai. I chose, however – when what would have been my first feature film, "Smothered Voices," fell through – to move to Los Angeles. Here – alas! – slow strangulation by debt and attrition is a rite of passage. But those early memories of my first job sustain me still.
I have had many jobs all over this country. Sales, casino dealer, legal assistant, stock exchange and more. Of all these jobs, it was working for the State of Nevada Unemployment Dept. during the Iraq War I enjoyed the most. Nevada is bordered with five states and people were pouring into the City of Las Vegas. I had quit working as a dealer to save my sanity and got a job processing unemployment claims. It paid next to nothing, but I have a way with forms and a desire to help people in times of utmost stress. I was, ahem, helping too many people out of the box and the Office Manager told me I was only allowed one a day to go outside the lines. She put me in charge of several projects and I was beyond happy knowing I was finally doing something worthy. Dealing cards and selling clothes and makeup can be fun, but, at the end of the day, there is nothing there. Also, working with lawyers (which I did for most of life) tends to be annoying. I did love probate (dead people) and that is fun. Howard Hughes in particular. So, the worst paying job in my life was my best. I wish I could have stayed.
At the age of 15 I worked the summer as a cub reporter at the Middletown (NY) Times Herald. Near the end one afternoon I was sitting alone in the newsroom listening the old presses thudding out the day's afternoon paper. One my stories was in it. I remember now, 70 years later, saying to myself "I don't want to do anything else in my life." I didn't.
I’ve had many jobs, never a 9-5, from roofer to puppeteer to standup, but my favorite job was as Post Production Supervisor for a series of WB home videos called Celebrate the Century and Legends Icons & Superstars of the 20th Century, working for Bob Guenette and David Wolper. Bob’s genius was he took video, newsreels, and films and wove a compelling documentary. At one point it was the best selling VHS for Warner Home Video. We collected footage from all over the world, we had raw footage of Mao Stalin all the Nazi stuff Mandela Michael Jackson Led Zeppelin the Beatles Elvis the assassination of Anwar Sadat and all the MGM musicals, just endless amazing video, and it was our job to watch it! We had Wynton Marsalis for the musical transitions, and a full orchestra for the music. I went on to produce many hours of television but I never again had a job as fun as that.
Most significant? Being a commercial photographer for 30+ years.
Most fun? Working at a Baskin-Robbins for a couple years as a teenager (as did Jake Tapper, ha!)
My favorite job was doing a sold out mime and comedy performance at a museum benefit when I was 19 in Scranton PA. My worst was picking daffodils in Northern CA for $.06 a bundle of 10 when I was 18. I was relieved when I reacted to to the daffodil ‘juice’ with swollen hands.
I will talk about my best job, however, I want to gather my thoughts for a time...Before I share that though, Steven has inspired me by inviting us all to Read "Unthinkable" and join in a zoom discussion about the book, to suggest to everyone who has access to Amazon prime Video, or wherever they can see it, to see The Masterclass "Black History, Black Freedom and Black Love". It is there that you will discover the history of our country you were not taught in school and to this day is continuously happening...
I was a college professor for over 30 years and an associate dean for about half that as well. Although there were occasionally cranky colleagues and weird meetings, the chance to introduce students to new ideas and books (I was in English) and to learn about all the wonderful things my colleagues in the College of Arts and Sciences were doing was great!
So many jobs at this point but I take your point on local journalism gigs. I've had two, one in Livingston, Montana that is a 5 day a week paper for very low wages. I practically wrote the thing myself and fried out after six months. Mostly I couldn't afford to do it for $9.50 an hour. I got to meet local celebrities, the head one being Tom McGuane. This why I went there in the first place. I also enjoyed my work as a federal fisheries biologist, albeit only seasonal all over the place but those twenty seasons were fodder for a memoir, Against a Strong Current; Travels of an outlaw fishery biologist. Acting gigs in LA were very fun but hard to get into in a meaningful way. I'd like to do that again, though.
My absolute favorite job was my first one in small market radio in Gardner, MA in the early-70s while in high school. I had creative freedom and unlimited opportunity to grow. It was so intensely pleasureful that I'd forget to eat meals! I ended up on-air at WNBC, New York in 1977 before I graduated from B.U. (I commuted back and forth between Boston and NYC for my last semester thanks to durable genes and youth), and everything I've done professionally since has had very grateful connections to those early, very first days in radio.
I want to share both the good and the bad. The worst was a temporary employment job working for the city at the city dump. As a teacher, unless you budgeted all year (which was almost impossible on our meager two salaries and trying to own a home with a 50 mile commute one way), you had to work during your "vacation time' This year was odd, since it was the first time Los Angeles USD tried to put everyone on a year round schedule. My schedule was an eight week break a week before Christmas until after February 1. You can imagine how panicked one would be when the bread winner has no income right after the holidays. So off to the temp agency I had worked for before and I was assigned to the dump in the Christmas tree recycling area at a wage that was about 15% of my normal wages. My job was to unload the discarded trees into a pile by the mulching center, and to keep the area clean of all other trash. It was an eight hour job, sunrise to sunset, in all weather conditions. It's raining, and the trees get heavier, and you are up to mid-shin in mud of the compacted dirt they use to cover the trash. Or, you begin your shift, and it suddenly gets colder and you watch the latest snow storm race across the valley to your location. Now you are in freezing temps, your hands and feet are numb, its snowing and the trees are heavier. I lasted three weeks, until El Nino forbade us to go back to work, since we were not city employees.
My favorite job was as a high school social studies teacher and sports coach in LAUSD and a small rural district in northern LA County (total of 16 years before becoming a school administrator). Granted my commute was horrible from the high desert to the city each day, but I looked forward to engaging with my students, hoping that I made history and civics interesting, relevant and important to them. I looked forward to our discussions even when we were on opposite ends of the argument. I enjoyed coming up with lesson plans that got them engaged, working together or against each other, compromising, and seeing the light come on over their heads when the lesson and ideas hit home. It was empowering to see how I helped them gain insights and skills they did not have when they first walked into the door.
Coaching gave both my students and me a different perspective of both of us, and I got the chance of teaching teamwork and sportsmanship. Sure, it was not easy on some of the meager salaries some districts pay, the long hours on site and off time you sacrifice. But most of us will tell you that our biggest reward for all of this was when at the end of the year, or even years later, that struggling student comes back to say thank you. I always did , as I do now, get a lump in my throat each time that happened. That's what makes teaching all the worthwhile.
I suppose my best job (and I mentioned that at the time to everyone I knew) was managing editor of a national law and politics magazine. What I liked about it was the team I was working with, and how I felt my part played a role. I miss that. Nowadays, there's NO ONE in the office, and all our meetings are via Zoom. I suppose every bad job has its perks: over five years ago I was a men's locker room attendant at a local country club. Worst part: cleaning up after rowdy spoiled kids. Best part: great food and tips. Even folding towels and vacuuming could be considered honest, relaxing work. So, there you have it. Great question!
From 1974 to 1985, I worked as a reporter for the two New Haven medium-sized dailies, advancing from covering small towns to the police beat and then federal courts. I recognized a few years in that the erratic hours would make it impossible to have kids so I started planning my escape. I attended night law school for four years, took the bar, passed and was licensed. In 1985, I took a job with a law firm, which turned out not to be my cup of tea. Knocking around with a law degree, I spent two years working in local government administration before finding my dream job, staff attorney for several state agencies. I love public policy and this was the place for me to be. It was only advancing age (70 in two months) and a significant adverse change in terms and conditions of my employment due to a union contract that made me decide to retire. I have now been retired for two weeks and I am taking full advantage of the opportunity to hike and ski during the week. As I look back, I recall that newspaper job as being a lot of fun, but I knew it would not be my life's work. I loved working in government. I retired reluctantly.
As promised...
Retired now, I reflect on the many jobs in my 66 year old path, Paperboy, Liquor Store Clerk, Printing Press Operator, Bakery Shop Keeper, Dept. Store Salesman, Outside Sales Rep, Night & Weekend Dept. Store Floor Manager, Musician (and still today), I could go on…
Though, for me the best job I have had, aside of being a parent, was something that began as an interest/hobby then became a 22yr career. From 1996 until the spring of 2018 I was a Motion Picture and Television Still Photographer…
A bastion of creativity, interpersonal relationships and oppertunity…an environment of challenge, success, failure and redemption…
Without a college education, this narrow slice of “Professional Photographer” presented to me an opportunity to see what I was made of…Setting aside the photography, I believe with anything in life, success lies with how we navigate with others, being the kind of person that motivates others to want to work with YOU. That was my challenge, my goal and my purpose..Photography was merely the train I road to becoming the best Sam I could be, so I could make photographs.
I have had three jobs that I really enjoyed. First came the job of going to University - I consider getting an education a job. If they paid you to go to school, that is what I would have done. Although I majored in history and political science, my favorite class was journalism. I love writing. Every Saturday morning at 8AM was a 2 hour lab, 25 typewriters clicking away in an agriculture building that smelled like hay. Instructor would give us details, then we had to write the 5Ws and a How . I got done in half an hour. I had an A, was told I didn't have to take the final, but I showed up anyway. Prof said,"What the hell are you doing here?"(I learned that journalism people swear a lot.) I said I didn't have anything else to do. He just put a big A on my paper and escorted me out the door.
A second job liked was one time substituting at a highschool in NJ. I had the classes of the cutups for the most part. I loved them. They messed around in chemistry. Sat in wrong seats when I took attendance, made jokes, and the thing is, what they thought was funny, I did, too. I guess I was the only teacher who appreciated them and showed it as they loved me back. Couldn't do enough for me, Walked along in the hall with me. If they saw me on Main Street, they yelled and hollered and waved hello. One looked exactly like George Thorogood;we kidded that he was bad to the bone.
That said, the job I enjoyed the best and counted for the most, was raising my three children who all turned out to be good citizens, caring, industrious, & smarter than several of the US Presidents, if those articles about IQs are correct. And I did it as a single mother, very little help from the ex.Those articles about kids of single mothers turning out to be bad characters are wrong.Money was always tight, I taught and sold real estate, sent two through Penn State. I prayed a lot. They have their own families now, are good parents, and although they have their own lives with work, children school and sports, and at times, I say I might as well live in Idaho for all I see of them, they are always there when needed, and I always get I love yous. : )
My favorite job: Performing as "Miss Harmony" at a local tourist spot. I was one of many musicians hired, to stroll with my guitar, slide up to random guests to play and sing a tune for them, or jump in with some of the other musicians and perform impromptu. The backdrop was an 1870's town. My background is Motown and Jazz... I was introduced to Bluegrass- to harmonize with some great guys was heaven!
The worst job: Working on an assembly line at a factory. The dust kept me sick the entire time! I lasted 3 weeks.
Steven, this question has brought the most interesting responses. Your readers are so diverse and such intellects. I have never had a bad job.
I started working in a bakery in South Carolina at 17. One day the cake decorator told me I was going to learn to make cakes and so I did. It was destiny as my grandmother decorated very ornate wedding cakes. When I was a child I would hang around the kitchen to watch her and after she admonished me to stay back, she would occasionally gesture me over and squeeze the icing on my tiny finger. The profession followed me and as I moved from state to state with my then Navy husband, I always landed in the bakery. I managed many of them, but finally ended up as the full time cake decorator in a large supermarket chain in Missouri. The community came to know me well as I stood behind the glass, on display. I loved that job, and stayed doing it long after having carpal release surgery on both wrists. It was a creative job and I was blessed to have been Union! Now I’m retired with a 35 year pension and I’m an author of 3 books. At 63, no grand babies yet, but some day ... I hope to squeeze icing on a tiny finger.
Working for another for a paycheck, well that would probably be stacking cans of oil, though not my favorite part of being a teenage old full service gas station gas pump jockey/fledgling grease monkey
It was satisfying, I loved it, learned all manner of things this old geezer still uses to this day, not the least of which was how to run a successful small business, how to create opportunity on my feet, and the pay wasn't too awful with commissions, it was enough anyway.
Check under the hood for ya?...Your good, little dirty though, you should change it soon, we're running a premium oil special this month, come see me, I'll throw in a lube job
So there I was in 1972 – a recent graduate from the London Film School – having dinner one evening in a Japanese Restaurant (my first) in Kathmandu, Nepal. I was with the Indian documentary filmmaker, Fali Bilimoria, who had hired me as his assistant (more or less on a whim), and Shama Habibullah whom Fali had appointed as the director of the film on which we were working, a documentary for UNICEF.
Truth be told, Fali could have directed the film himself, but he had given Shama the job since he was madly in love with her. But that love – regardless of Fali’s lavish attention – went entirely unrequited. I should add, though, that Shama is a notable filmmaker herself, so the appointment was not without merit. An aside: her brother, Waris Hussein, is the well-known director of several British films (among his many more prominent credits, it is worth noting that he directed the pilot episode of "Dr. Who"). But I digress…
We had ordered dishes that evening that came with raw eggs. Fali chose the moment, soon after we were served by the Japanese couple who owned the restaurant, to make an outrageously flirtatious comment to Shama. I’ve long forgotten exactly what it was that Fali had said, but Shama’s response is entirely fresh in mind: she picked up her egg and cracked it open on Fali’s bald pate.
Other patrons in the restaurant froze mid-bite, an immediate hush descending. I tried to stifle my laughter as I watched Fali react with a look of stunned consternation as raw egg dripped down his face. But he was quick to make light of the situation by breaking into a broad grin. The Japanese couple rushed over with napkins so he could mop up the egg. The flow of conversation resumed. Even Shama smiled.
I remember thinking – my heart swelling in anticipation as I mixed my egg into my brown rice – that this was just the beginning of what would prove to be a wonderful career as a writer and director. Over the next decade, I would go on to build a reputation as a prominent commercial filmmaker in Mumbai. I chose, however – when what would have been my first feature film, "Smothered Voices," fell through – to move to Los Angeles. Here – alas! – slow strangulation by debt and attrition is a rite of passage. But those early memories of my first job sustain me still.