With the economy in its current state, complaining about even the most tedious job can be in very poor taste, because the person to whom you're complaining might be very happy to have it. So I'm not going to do that. And why should I? I sit in my own home all day and every day, writing mystery novels for a living. If there is a job more ideal for a logical-minded introvert with a passion for the English language, I'm not sure what it might be.
Still, I have worked at an motley assortment of jobs over my lifetime. This has suited me better than the classic forty-five-years-at-the-same-job-and-get-a-gold-watch career of yesteryear. (I sometimes wonder how many people really had that kind of career anyway.) It is also a common work history for a writer, or for any artist.
I have worked as:
- A mystery author
- An author of mathematics educations articles and books
- A youth choir director
- An environmental engineer
- A university administrator
- A community college instructor
- A research assistant doing mathematical modeling of coal combustion products
- A tutor for underprivileged college students
- A roustabout on an offshore natural gas platform
- A bank teller
- A gift wrapper at a mall department store.
Just look at that list. Does it scream "mystery author" to you? Me neither.
I think I'll do something different this week. Instead of just writing a simple blog entry and chatting with people who respond to it, I'm going to ask you to comment on this post by listing some of your more notable jobs. I see the analytics for this site, so I know there are a lot of you reading, but not posting. Here's your chance to tell the world about the best or worst job you ever had. Or maybe you want us to know the details of your years as the faithful employee of the worst boss in the world, on whom you have affectionately bestowed the moniker "Satan." (We all have one of those bosses in our histories, but I'm pretty sure that my own personal Satan is not reading this blog.)
Tell us about your experiences as a working stiff. I dare one of you to come up with a more unlikely job than the summer I spent as a 19-year-old roustabout in the Gulf of Mexico. Everybody had a nickname out there. I weighed 95 pounds, I had a black ponytail, and I wore heavy work boots. I suppose it was inevitable that they called me Olive Oyl.
Come on, people. Beat the Olive Oyl story. I know you can.
Mary Anna
it is also a typical history for women, they have to be a jack or jill of all trades and adapt to life better than men in general, sorry men! it's true, especially women who have had to adapt to the role of MOM! You work exclusively, 24/7 for your children, partner and then around this try and get paid work too!
Ladies who can then find time for their passions like writing i applaud you, i hardly get time to read either. My worst job is definitely the work i do for my husbands company, eik! we are a great team but really rip into each other when things go wrong. Do I hate my boss? Yep, and I love him too.
I have to work from home in the middle of the madness whil he gets to work in the office, and he wonders why i'm slow. So long as he never has to fire me... lol.
Posted by: online recruitment agency | November 28, 2011 at 06:24 AM
Oh, goodness. I actually *did* intend to include "stay-at-home mother of three" on this list, because I certainly have always considered that the equivalent of a paid job or more. Unfortunately, I seem to have gotten distracted while I was trying to decide where to put it. Momhood actually belongs in a couple of slots--"stay-at-home mother of three" belongs between the engineer and choir director jobs, and "stay-at-home mother of one, and then two" belongs between instructor and engineer.
I *really* don't envy anyone who works for his or her spouse. :)
Posted by: Mary Anna | November 28, 2011 at 12:31 PM