The Second Job.

Brother C. from our ward must have known I needed a job. Or at least that I was available. He talked to my parents about me coming in to his office and filing papers a couple days a week. He worked in an office about 30 minutes away and I don't remember what they did. Accounting? Law? Insurance? Dentist? My mom told me about the job and that it would be after school, around 4-5:30, and that I would be paid $4 an hour!!! SERIOUSLY?! That was a huge pay increase for me!

I took the job and learned I needed to wear a dress. So I would get home from school, eat something, change my clothes and get in the big white van. You know those little mini vans you see around? Ours was an Econoline. Huge. Stinkin' huge. Like a whale. And it sucked gas like it was thirsty in a desert in the middle of August.

I would usually have to put some gas in to get to and from work everyday. One day I was putting $2 of gasoline in and when I paid the gas guy he said, “You won't get very far with that.” Oh hush. I've run on fumes in this baby so many times...and have run completely out of fumes in the middle of so many intersections...I know how much I need.

I always got stuck in traffic on my way there and home. So it was a really long day for me. At the office, Brother C. would tell me what needed to be filed and how. Then he would go back to his office to work. Doing what, I don't know. No one else would usually be there. Odd...

One evening the phone rang. I didn't answer it. I didn't know what company I worked for. All I did was file a few papers and go home. It rang and rang and rang. Then Brother C. came out and asked why I didn't answer it. I told him I don't want to. And he was there anyway. He said it was him calling. I apparently needed to practice answering the phone. So he called again.

Ring Ring

“Hello?” “Very good. Now say 'Hello, this is Jennie speaking.'” Ring ring. “Hello. This is Jennie speaking.” “Don't be scared! Just relax.” Hahaha...funny. Ring ring. This went on for a whole evening. Every once in a while after that he would call me. Just for practice. But he was always the only one who called the office. No one else ever did. He even called from home once. Just for practice.

There were so many things about that job that were just...dumb. There were papers that needed to be filed that, in the whole few months I worked there, I could never find the file they went into. And usually by the time I would get to it and remember I needed to ask about it, there would be no one around who knew, or they would say, “Just set it back in the pile. We'll find where it goes.” So much for office efficiency. They also paid me with a check without taking any taxes out. I don't know who Fica is, but he wasn't getting any of my money. A cool $12 a week.

Somewhere in the midst of this fine job, my sister Katie turned 16. The next job I would have would involve her. In so many ways.

If I were to have that job again now, though, I would tell Brother C. to answer his own phone. I would learn the name of the office I was working in. I would ask why no one was ever working at 4 in the afternoon. I would create new files for all those poor people who didn't have a file. And I would care so much more for those poor people who didn't have a file by making a really beautiful and eye catching file. No file! Sheesh. I would buy myself some cassette tapes of good music to listen to on the long drive to and from. I would also bring myself a snack. Maybe a diet pepper for good measure. It was a boring job.

Nothing compares to my favorite job! The one I have right now.