bobcat
Well-known Member
- Location
- Northern Calif
What is a job (Or jobs) you could never convince yourself to do no matter what it paid?
My very first real jobWhat is a job (Or jobs) you could never convince yourself to do no matter what it paid?
Are you gonna submit this story to Reader's Digest? It's a pretty good read.My very first real job
Wrote about it;
My very first ‘job’ was hoeing roses for an ol’ guy at the end of the mountain road up from our place.
He was a prize winning grower, lots of entries and ribbons and medals and plaques from all over and of course Portland, the City of Roses.
As a teacher, the crotchety ol’ fart was not the gracious diplomat he was when accepting an award.
‘Quit pickin’ at it like a gd woman, gdammit.’
‘Gimme that hook.’
He’d jerk the ‘hook’ outta my hand and commence to beat the holy crap outta those roses.
Apparently the ones that survived became resilient and hardy....and beautiful.
The hook was not much more than a smallish three prong pitchfork bent 90°.
‘You don’t stop till it’s rainin’ like a cow peein’ on a flat rock.’
That was the work schedule.
And off he’d go in his dilapidated ’49 ford sedan.
The engine sounded like it would blow apart any minute, pistons rattling around, tappets tapping a beat, zero oil.
Only drove it a few hundred yards, just to harass us.
One of the old hands said, ‘just hoe like mad until you get over the hill, then you can take a little break’.
The old gent seemed to know what he was talkin’ about, he’d been there a long time.
Back permanently stuck at 45°.
Kinda bugged me...cause when it was rainin’ like a cow peein’ on a flat rock, we’d all beat feet over to the walnut tree....here he’d trudge...and there he’d stand....bent.
His hands were stuck in a hoe holding position.
Not big on talkin’.
‘How long you been doin’ this?’
‘Some time now.’
‘Huh.’
It was $.60 an hour...10 hours a day.
I’d been there just a few days, and hoein’ like mad.
The hill just a half hour of back breaking hacks away.
Once over the hill, outta view from the ol’ guy’s shack, I straightened up and leaned on my hook.
Just stared into the sun.
Rolled a smoke.
A smoke never tasted so good.
I was just getting into a mind filled tryst with Sophia Loren when I heard, ‘That’s enough of that, git offa my property.’
I turned around and there he was, leanin’ on them crutches.
How in hell had he snuck up on me?
Had he crutched his way up the hill, knowing full well what I was doin’?
At first I was startled, and maybe a bit scared.
Then I got mad, and with the knowledge that several fields of hay bales were just waiting for me, I headed right for him.
His expression changed from sneering disgust to alarm.
‘Don’t worry ol’ man. I’m not gonna beatcha.
You’ve done enough of that yerself.
Here’s yer hook.’
So, yeah, I got fired from my first real job.
How do you stay motivated to do that job?Proctologist.
Back around 1970, I worked at the Toronto Humane Society as a paid shelter employee. I was around 24 years old. Part of my job was to go out with a THS van and pick up dogs that people didn't want anymore. Same thing for cats and kittens. At other times I worked the front counter in the main building which was in downtown Toronto.Pumping out septic tanks.
Euthanizing animals that no one would adopt.
Me, too! Glad I had the training and experience to handle situations in my life that needed medical know-how but I'd never choose that career again if I had it to do over.Any type of nursing people. Have done it and hated every minute of it.
I had no interest in doing any kind of accounting or bookkeeping. I'd have been bored stupid if that's all I had to do all day. My partner took care of that stuff when we owned a small business and, fortunately, he liked it and he was good at it.What is a job (Or jobs) you could never convince yourself to do no matter what it paid?
Thanks @OldFellerAre you gonna submit this story to Reader's Digest? It's a pretty good read.
Wunner what that pays....Pet food taster
Prolly good.Wunner what that pays....
YeahHaving really settled into retirement, that would be ANY job....