My friend, David Rupert, has a great series going
this summer - all about first jobs.
He invited me to participate many weeks ago,
and today is the day.
Just a few simple reflections on going to work at age 15,
in retail - selling window coverings, of all things.
My own house today has very few of those -
because I like to look outside -
but if I had too, I could order drapes with the best of 'em!
Here's a small sample - for the whole story, please
check out David's place - it's a nice place to be:
I’ve had a lot of different jobs in my life - babysitter, lawn-waterer, house-tender, school teacher, stay-at-home-mom, administrative assistant, florist, teaching assistant, staff pastor, curriculum writer and spiritual director. But the year I turned 15, I got my first ‘real’ job. A friend suggested I apply for a position as a retail clerk at a local, family-owned business that sold curtains, draperies and the hardware for hanging them. And I got paid a whopping $1.25/hour. After three years of baby-sitting for thirty-five cents per hour, that sounded like a great idea! I had to apply for a special dispensation from the city government because I was under age, and then, for the next 18 months, I worked every Saturday and all vacation days at Bruce’s Draperies on Orange Street in Glendale, CA. I learned a lot about measuring windows, calculating how much fabric would be needed for custom drapes, and which rods could best bear the weight of which fabric density.
It was boring.
I mean, it was really boring.
But my employers were kind, the customers were gracious - and I got $1.25 per hour!
It was boring.
I mean, it was really boring.
But my employers were kind, the customers were gracious - and I got $1.25 per hour!
Here's the link to David's house:
