rappensuncle

We’re approaching that time where high school and college students are looking for or starting their summer jobs.  Many of these can be considered “dead end” jobs, as they have no relation to the student’s field of study.  They exist merely to pay for books, trips to the movies, gas for the car, or beer for the kegger.

Nice Work if You Can Find It

Sometimes, students luck out, and get something related to their college major.  An internship in the industry of your choice can be a real gift.  Perhaps a future pharmacist can get a job as a helper in a drug store.  Or a culinary student lands a job in the kitchen of a fine restaurant.  Sounds to good to be true?  Well, it was for me, too.

At Least You’ll Get a Tan

My first summer job was landscaping.  I got acquainted with poison ivy, and the occasional dead racoon.  I stayed in this industry for my next job, which was maintenance at a mini golf course.  I worked there until I got a “real” job.  For all of the griping that I did about wages (about $4 an hour), and working conditions (I was constantly dirty, and consequently talked down to by customers), it was a great job.  Sunshine on most days, and I made a lot of friends.

Sa-wing, batta batta!

Call me ambitious.  During this time, I also worked at a batting range/go-kart track.  I mostly handled the money, which means that I was the guy with the change apron.  I gave out quarters for the batting cages, and sold tickets for go-kart rides.  The batting range was enclosed by nylon nets, and before the place opened for the season, I sewed up the holes in the nets, along with the other guys.  My windburn was always mistaken for a tan, so I can’t really complain.  Oh, yeah, the pay sucked here, too.

Memories Are Made of This…

Yeah, the pay sucked.  And I’m sure the pay still sucks today.  But there are things that I remember from my summer jobs that are priceless, for various reasons.  They are, in no particular order:

• Making up dirty lyrics to popular songs while sewing nets at the batting range;
• Watching a kid who I worked with spend his entire paycheck on a Mother’s day gift;
• The deli that always got my sandwich order wrong, but the food was delicious anyway;
• Loud belching contests;
• Taking care of one of my favorite teachers, who would bring his son’s Little League team in for a tune-up before each game;
• Learning to switch-hit and mastering the “super-fast” machine, and winning hitting contests with my friends;
• My coworker’s Italian grandfather, known to all as The Boss, who lived next door, and grew the hottest peppers known to man;
• The impromtu hockey games that would break out when business was slow;
• The time we ejected a drunk, obnoxious customer, and he chased people around the parking lot with his car, who yelled “Land Shark!”, eventually crashing into a fence and getting arrested;

But my favorite memory has got to be the night we closed the go-kart track early because of rain, and sat around drinking beer and eating pizza in the parking lot.  Soon after, our manager unlocked the go-kart garage, and we spent an hour tearing ass around the wet track, smashing each other’s carts and doing 360’s.  It was a great adrenaline rush, especially after our neighbor The Boss called the cops, and eight soaken wet, filthy, half-drunk guys had to explain to the cop that this was just a private party, and we really weren’t vandalizing the place.  Ah, the memories…

So even though your summer job may suck, try to look on the bright side.  Many years later, it may make good fodder for a blog post.

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