what working has taught me

I got my first job because I wanted money to buy a new video game. I didn’t really care what I did, as long as I was paying for it. Babysitting was the only thing I was qualified to do, so that’s what I did, What I didn’t realize at the time, though, was that money isn’t the only or even the most important benefit of a job. The money is nice but more important, it gives me real-world experiences.

By the age of eleven, I begged my mom to take me to the American Red Cross CPR training just so I could start babysitting. For my first job, I babysat my neighbors, an eight-year-old boy, and his six-year-old sister. One time when I was babysitting they wanted a snack, and the girl wanted to make her own sundae. Of course, that led to disaster, when she knocked so many sprinkles onto the floor you couldn’t see the tiles. She started to cry, but I realized it wasn’t a big deal and was more than happy to pick it up. Wiping her tears, she smiled, and a bond was formed between us over dumped sprinkles.

Babysitting was the start, along with doing chores for my family. But as soon as I turned 15 and could get my working papers, I immediately applied for a “real” job, working at a local grocery store. Every day for two weeks I would go online to see if there were any new positions open and I would even go into the store so they could recognize me. I ended up getting the job of a cashier. Dealing with people, and managing money taught me to be a quick problem solver under pressure. It also taught me a good work ethic and time management, which helped me be more of an organized person. With sports and school, though, I couldn’t handle a job during my sports seasons and had to quit.

Within a few months, though, I found a job at a local ice cream truck company, driving ice cream trucks to graduation parties, birthday parties, and festivals. While my ice cream truck isn’t exactly a fancy vehicle - you try driving an ice cream truck that won’t go over 40 on the highway - the smiles I see on my customers make my day.

I’ve come full circle now, and am working with little kids again at a Rec program. While I know that working with little kids isn’t my life’s passion, they bring me joy. What I do know is that whatever my future brings, I will remember the lessons of respect and self-reliance that all of my jobs have given me. I now have plenty of video games, but I will always seek the rewards of working.