I'm sure all of us, at least I hope so, have worked at a paying job sometime in our lives. I mean something a little more than the babysitting or throwing newspapers. I think most of us have had that business experience in life.
Now, however, before I get started, I'm simply going to honor all all of the women who went directly from high school or college and began raising a family. All of us know there is NO OTHER harder work than being a mom. As a mom, and sometimes a dad, you have to be a doctor, lawyer, cook, storyteller, chauffeur, and well, just about everything in the world and you get no monetary compensation.
So, that being said...my story today is about the long list of exciting, demanding, unbelievable and frustrating jobs I've had over the years.
I guess my first real paying job was sweeping the floor at Leo's Barber Shop down on Riverside Drive in Dayton, Ohio. I got down there after dinner at my house, which was just up the street, right after the barbershop had closed. It was a three-chair operation and served pretty much the entire neighborhood.
I probably made a dollar or two for the week plus I got a free haircut. Plus I got to spin around in the chairs after closing and of course pump them up as high as I could get them and then release them rapidly. Also, playing with the shaving cream dispenser and carefully, very carefully, sending that straight razor back and forth across the razor strap was also a thrill.
Later on in high school as I advanced up the working chain, I found myself after high school.working in a field that I thought my prove to be a entry level position in the medical field. It wasn't
I had a connection at a clinic downtown across the street from Miami Valley Hospital, which ironically was where I was born. My aunt was the Office Manager for a group of Ophthalmologists in the building which also housed several Internists.
That group of Physicians had a lab down in the basement where all of the blood and urine tests were handled for the doctors.
My job after school was having the responsibility of getting all of those urine bottles all sparkly clean for the next day.And of course, the bottles remained full of the specimen in case a test had to be done over. Uh-huh..Thirty of forty bottles each day waited for me. In all shades of yellow, chartreuse and an occasional light brown color. If I was lucky, there might have been a left over stool specimen container that had to be cleaned as well. That job lasted for two years. That my friend was a memorable experience.
In college, I worked doing everything from being desk clerk at a Howard Johnsons, , a busboy at a Holiday Inn, A chauffeur for a quadriplegic, who was a very successful business man which later evolved into meeting and becoming friends with Jim Brady, President Reagen's Press Secretary, who was shot along with Reagen.
And another fun job of working in the kitchen and serving food at the State Mental Hospital in Norman, Oklahoma. You never knew what to expect each night at dinner time as the patients shuffled through the line. Sometimes the men women would flash you, growl at you, stare at you or even try to slip you a note telling you there were being held against their will...duh.
Anyway, the list goes on and on. Everything from being a stringer for the Air Force Times, a newspaper editor as well as a reporter.
And of course, the experience of working for Chuck Norris, as his property manager for 18 years.
Later on Pattye and I would start a successful swimming pool service business some 27 years ago.
Just a few memories on this Sunday morning.
I have loved working. I still work and I hope I never lose the enthusiasm.
