Saturday, April 25, 2009

Is it possible....

to like one's job? I've never had that experience except when I worked at the assisted living home in NM. I should not go to work counting down the hours....counting down the minutes until I get off. I should not live for my days off. But I do. It's not a horrible job, it's not a hard job and I like the people I work with....much more so than when I worked in retail in SC. So I don't know what the problem is. Well maybe I do. I should not be working in retail. It's all about consumerism and greed. I don't like shopping. I don't like the fact that big retail giants like the one I work for comes into a city and takes the business away from all the small Mom and Pop stores. It makes me angry when young people....very obviously able bodied people who are capable of working come in and buy $300 worth of junk food. Then they feed that crap to their kids. I see this every day. Well hello......my taxes pay for that crap! So does that give me the right to be mad about it?I realize there are people who need it....like a suddenly single mother with 3 kids or a disabled person who can't work but then you see more than half of the people who come to my register using food stamps something is not right. Then something else that bugs me are the people who come in and ride the power chairs because they are too freaking lazy to walk. Being extremely overweight is not a disablity. Maybe that bit of exercising of walking around the store would help. Save those chairs for the person who just had back surgery, the person who has a broken leg or the one who has heart problems.
Maybe I'm being too judgemental but sometimes the unfairness of life gets me down. If not for those few people who come into the store...the ones who tell me their inspiring story...or the really upbeat ones that just brighten my day, my job would be unbearable.
If another job opportunity came along that I thought I'd enjoy working at I'd take it in a minute. But is changing jobs with the economy like this a good idea? I'd like to go to school but there's not money for that especially now that we have this house. I have lots of plans of things I could do, but no motivation to do them. Sometimes I feel like I'm stuck. Stuck in the mud. Surely my life long ambition is not working as a cashier. There has to be more than that in life.
Feel free to comment. Do you like your job? Are you doing what you are meant to be doing?
Blessing to y'all.

10 comments:

  1. I've had jobs where I didn't mind going in to work. I've had jobs were I wanted to be anywhere but at work.

    I now have a job where I do short month, two month projects, so some months are "I can't wait to get to work" and some are "Ugh, what a rat race."

    There will always be lazy people that abuse the charity of others (incuding governmentally sponsored ones). The gene pool could use some chlorine.

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  2. Hey Barb!!! I'm sorry to hear that you're so disliking your job right now. Yeah, it IS possible to like your job. When I worked at the library here next to my house, I LOVED my job. Would have done it for free (but wouldn't tell my bosses THAT!). I DO like my current library position, sometimes. When I'm being allowed to actually DO my work without being constantly nagged by boss or coworkers. So, it IS possible, but not very likely in our current world.

    I agree in great part about the disgruntlement of seeing these young, reasonably healthy folks come in and buy junk. It's ridiculous to think that it's possible to actually live on such stuff. And I cannot tell you how many times I've looked at somebody who appears otherwise normal but morbidly obese, plop themselves into a motorized chair, and zoom around a store (or our library!). And yet, when I had my tubal ligation a couple of years back, I found myself as the one who APPEARS normal, but yet sitting in the motorized chair "zooming" around the store. I got some nasty glares for that. But at the same time, sitting, standing, walking..... All were uncomfortable as hell, but sitting was the only one that was actually possible for me at that time, and for the week to come. (As for the "zooming", those things have VERY sensative "gas" levers, from my experience. Little pressure from my fingers and the thing would jump 4 feet forward. Also very hard to steer, especially when drugged up on Vicodin or stronger. *wink*) So, from experience, I now give people a little slack when I see them riding around on one of those motorized chairs. Maybe they just fell hard on the knee in the past day or two, and a few steps doesn't show it, but up and down store aisle for 45 minutes does. Or maybe they had surgery in the past few days and are having a hard time standing and walking. A million reasons that a person may need to be using one, and I have no more right to judge those people than they had to judge me on the occasion I needed to use one.

    I hope you have a fantastic weekend, and find SOMETHING to enjoy about your job.

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  3. Sweetie, I'm afraid it is the particular store you work for. It's a microcosm of all of the people furthest down every scale. A lot of them just don't know any better, some are out to scam everyone they can, and some are just trying to stretch their pennies as far as possible. I feel the same way you do when I'm in there to shop. Overflowing carts with no actual food!!

    I wish you could find another job that was more in line with your beliefs and would make you happier. I suppose you could still look around for opportunities.

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  4. I think we all feel this way from time to time. I think it's hard to change jobs with the economy being the way it is. But if it's meant to be then it will happen.
    Keep smiling :-)
    Lisa

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  5. It's possible to enjoy your job, but it's also rare. Right now though is not a good time to be switching jobs. Just be glad you have a job. People are being given pay cuts, or being fired (sometimes without much, if any, notice) left right and centre at the moment. You may be doing a job you don't like, but at least you have a job to pay the bills. All you can do is hang in there and try not to let people get to you.

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  6. Indigo Incarnates

    I like my job a lot too. :)

    I know what you mean about people eating too much junk food. Most of the defendants I supervise seem to have very poor diets that consist mainly of junk food and hamburgers.

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  7. Barb: You always hit familiar notes with me. You know, I am a speech-language pathologist. I've also done work (8 years) for the state as a compliance/complaint coordinator for the dept of education. I have always regretted not pursuing writing when I was younger. Luckily, my mom had a little tiny cafe that put me through school for which I am forever grateful. But I sure wish I had chosen a different line of study. Oh, well. Put food on the table. And now I retire in 4 weeks. I'm a little bit scared. Feels like graduating and THEN what?? Hopefully, I'm not too old to get serious about writing.

    My sense is that you are MUCH younger than I am. Time left to turn things around. Do you have any big goal that could be broken down into small steps? Or into realistic steps? Any free training out there to help you achieve the goal?

    Also, I understand what you are saying about these people coming through the store you work in. I've done retail and also worked in Mom's cafe. I just don't get it either. People want quick and easy these days (including me, I confess, at times). And have you noticed that no one is teaching kids manners any more? Fuss, fuss!

    You might be happy working in a school as a paraprofessional and pick up a course along the way. Grow from there. Have summers off. I'll bet you're good with kids.

    Hmm. Better go do some laundry! D

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  8. I agree with everything you said. I personally admire you for working retail as I believe I would have a difficult time dealing with that many people all day long.

    You are right, life is tough for so many. You mentioned trying to head back to school - have you looked into the community college to see if they offer anything? They may also have some very good incentives that you would qualify for - like scholarships or tuition waivers or whatever else they might have. I am no longer in the community college loop so I can say for certain what is out there.

    One passing thought.... there is never money for school, for anyone, unless their last name is Hilton. If you find a program you really want to do, then start exploring options for funding. It's almost a full time job to find them, I agree, but it can be worth it if it ultimately lands you in a job where you DON'T count the hours every day until the whistle blows.

    Just a thought.



    Jane

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  9. I'm shocked to hear how bad people's diet is over there, Barabara. Here in Sydney people seem to eat a lot healthier for the most part.

    But then again maybe its the kind of customer your store attracts! But anyway as regards jobs, it has been a lifelong struggle for me too. My favourite job was when i worked for 2 years as a producer for a commercial radio station. It was great - it expanded my mind, challenged me and I got to meet interesting people and learn new skills. Thats the kind of environment we all need!

    Remember ~ you may not be able to change anything right now, but set your intentions, pray, ask the angels for their help - you never know what can happen! Good luck Barb!

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  10. WOW another topic that hits a nerve with most working class americans!!

    I love my job...my job is not the issue for me its the red and black and blue tape behind the scenes that drive me in sane!! Things people do not see or think of to make things work or go!

    Retail is a very thankless position, I have done my share of that and hated it!!

    I read where you worked in an assisted living place and liked that...have you ever given home care or Nursing assistant a try? that is how I began over 20 yrs ago....and always work in the medical field it seems,?? Just a thought process...

    I hope things calm for you and you can find something that makes you feel good because I know how that can be wearing on a person to not like where you are!

    Will be praying that something falls your way unexpectedly!

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