In Limbo

The following is part two in a series of blog's reflecting on my 20 years of working. Every Thursday I will post about various points in my career.

After my time at White Hen ended, I spent the next year in a prolonged state of limbo. I had a different job every month and the little money I made I spent just as quickly. I learned a lot about myself in that year. Mainly, that I was not cut out for fast food. For my first post-Hen job was at Burger King.

Simply put, I hated it. It was located on 79^{th street}, just east of Harlem. I worked there for one whole week. It was a hot, greasy, and stinky place to work. I had to wear this brown polyester uniform with a nametag, which I simply hated. All I wanted to do was work the counter but I was told I would have to prove myself making burgers and fries before I could be trusted taking orders. So, being all of seventeen, I up and quit. No notice, nothing.

Next I got a part time job at the Bridgeview Park District. I got the job through a friend. Basically, I picked up bases after softball games, helped with the Haunted House, vacuumed the building and threw out a lot of garbage. It wasn’t a bad job but I didn’t get a lot of hours and I needed to move on to greener pastures. In March my luck would change.

There was a local mayoral election. The girl I was dating friend’s Step Dad was a town Councilman. He was running for re-election on the same ticket as the mayor. I was always hanging around his house since he had a pool table and the Playboy channel. He offered me a job handing out fliers and running errands during the course of the campaign. I took it. I made more money in a month and a half than I did the previous six months combined. I also got a first hand look at shady local politics. Again, there is a whole other blog in that story but I digress.

After the election I was officially out of a job again. Luck was again on my side as my Uncle was now running the Super America gas station on 95^th and Roberts Road. He offered me a part time gig there. I took it and basically I was cleaning tanks, sweeping and making signs. It was not the same as the Hen and my Uncle didn’t own the place. I had to work with this other manager who resented that I got the job based on nepotism. So, I started my search again after a month of taking her crap.

In June of 87 I got a job bagging groceries at Dominick’s on 87^th and Harlem. Again, I hated it. My personality is not suited to not moving around. I cannot stand being stuck in one place for an extended period of time. At Dominick’s I sat at the end of a checkout lane as a non-stop barrage of groceries came at me. There was a huge clock on my right and I swear it never moved. Every old blue haired bag in the area shopped there and bitched you out if you didn’t double bag. I was beginning to think I was the problem. After a month and a half I was ready to quit. So, I again began filling out applications.

I applied everywhere. Zayre, K Mart, KB Toy’s, just to name a few. In the mean time I got some extra money helping my girlfriends Uncle out. He was a handy man and he offered me extra cash to help him out from time to time. (He also would always go on a beer run for me.)

Looking back at my year in limbo, I smile. I was graduating high school and was more concerned with chasing skirts and having a good time than working or for that matter studying. Fortunately, in, August of 87 I would a call from Kmart that would change my life forever. More on that next week.