At some point in the last couple of months I made a list of jobs I've held during my life--at least the jobs which I remember. So far, I can remember 34 jobs. It sounds like an incredible number and one which would make one think that I am a job hopper, but what the reader may not know is that I tend to have multiple jobs going at the same time. Back in the late 1990s I had 5 part-time jobs which ran concurrent. These 5 jobs had me working almost 7 days a week, and there were times when I didn't get a day off for over a month. What can I say? I'm crazy and a hard worker. Those 5 jobs gave me full-time hours, just not in one place. One job I held for 6 years, one for 6 months (I was only a temp there), and the others, well, it's a little vague at the moment about the length of each, but definitely several years for each one. My longest time in any one job was 8 years in one bank. My longest time in any one profession is in the field of catering, which I started doing in 1984 and am still doing now, though not for the original caterer. So, my many jobs could be the source of writing some creative non-fiction.
Then there are all of the other aspects of my life like (not necessarily in this order) my childhood, my siblings, parents, extended families, marriage, children, divorce, Internet dating, church, public school, college years, volunteerism at various places like the Twin Lights Lighthouse, the PTA, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and all of the events that go with any one of these. So many experiences, so much to write.
Thirty-four jobs and counting, there is definitely a story there. Perhaps you can write about all your different and similar experiences in each job, and come to one conclusion about everything. The mixture of stories would be funny, sad, frustrating, there is so much that can happen in that one essay. I'd enjoy it, but then again every part of life can be like that...still, WHATEVER I'd like it.
ReplyDeleteJust a working mother, a nonstop working mother, there are tons of stories there!
I cannot believe you did 5 part-time jobs in a row! I have 2 and I want to jump off a bridge at times :P! I think introducing all the jobs you've had, 34, and then making the focal point the 5 jobs time would be cool. And the concept could be like hard work and not being able to stay in one place, my dad is like that. I think his number can rival yours! I would like to read it however you put it!
ReplyDeleteI know that concurrently working 5 part-time jobs sounds like an amazing feat, which is was, but I still think that working 4 part-time jobs while attending college full-time was a lot harder to do...at times I had 8 classes/24 credits in one semester! I think I did that twice in the 3 years it took me to complete my bachelor's degree, with the least number of credits I carried in one semester was 18. To think that I had more than 18 credits and 4 jobs is still mind boggling, but I don't think I mentioned that in my blog above. I've got lots of stories to tell. Which shall it be? Hmm???
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