Restaurant & Retail: Not for Me

Hi everyone. My name's Shadow.

I used to work as a crewman at McDonald's. You can imagine how that went—at least the majority of you can. Not only did I get grouchy customers every now and then, but the work was so physically demanding that I couldn't handle it...

...the worst part of it... oh God. The worst part of it was that I had developed a crush on one of my coworkers. I don't think he liked me back; it seemed like he had his eyes on another. Though I'm pushing twenty years old as I write this, the whole crush thing hasn't left me behind.

It’s no surprise that everyone in that little love triangle ended up quitting that job. We simply couldn't stand each other, nor the bad customers anymore. It just wasn't worth it.

I tried applying to other restaurants in my area. They were either the same deal, a similar deal, or they never called me back after I submitted my application. I thought about working in a store, but it simply didn't tick my fancy, if you know what I mean. I'm not cut out to stand all day and bag groceries, nor am I cut out to be out and about all over the place.

There were also some factories I could've applied to, but the one that wanted help was looking for experienced workers.

Oh, I had experience alright. I had worked in another company outside my area. It was easy; all I really had to do was assemble small parts together. Plus I worked the night shift, so I had more benefits than those who worked the morning and afternoon shifts.

Unfortunately, the company I was applying to was looking for workers who had experience with operating machines; you’d probably be at higher risk of injury or death the less experience you had... and they weren’t looking to “train someone from scratch.” I can’t help but wonder what happened to the person who was in that position before it opened up.

Though the manager who handled applications allowed me to leave my info with them, I had already given up hope of applying to jobs that I wouldn’t enjoy. In short, turning me down before even letting me apply was the last straw.

I’ve had enough of screwing around trying to find a job that’ll replace me within a couple weeks if I didn’t do well enough and/or died. I don’t even want to work under an employer. I’d much rather be my own boss; I do what I want when I feel like it. I grew up rebellious, so the only “jobs” I’ll take are ones where I get to decide what I do when I want to.

You must be wondering at this point, “what happened with your previous factory job?” Well, I’m glad you asked. I’d have stuck with it, but I couldn’t stay because it was pretty much out of town, and I was going to school in town when the semester began. Basically, I only worked there to pay for school.

Plus, it gets boring doing repetitive actions for eight hours straight. All I did was put small parts together or test to make sure they were working. The actions were simple and didn’t require much energy or strength; then again, I’m not even cut out for that to begin with, as I said before.

I even found myself sleeping on the job sometimes; thank God I was never caught. Plus it was a half-hour drive away from where I live. I don't know how you'd be in that situation, but that nightly trek gave me headaches every time... and, yes, I worked the night shift. I had more benefits that way.

Good thing I only signed up to work there for the summer. Once that summer was over, I knew I was never going back. I only worked there to pay for my first semester of college anyway.

Upon entering college, I was unemployed. I tried so many places as I mentioned before; I even tried doing job searches on websites that are supposed to help you find a job. The only one I trusted was Snagajob.com since I saw my dad on it while he was unemployed. But that's another story.

Unfortunately, it was all the same. Restaurants, stores, factories... nothing that could tick my fancy. I asked Snagajob.com politely to shut down my account as they didn't help me at all. I even apologized at the end of my negative review.

I know I'm capable of so much more than working under someone else. I know I'm capable of so much more than having to rely on an employer for money. I know I'm capable of so much more than feeding people. I'd much rather entertain them; I'm better in the field of entertainment than hospitality.

There are lots of ways to make pay; you don't have to have someone muscle you around just to make minimum wage.

That goes to show how much you, the reader, can do as well. I'm just as human as you are, so, if I can chase my dreams and eventually achieve them, then you can too! Everyone is perfectly capable of chasing their dreams, you just have to put your metaphorical mind and heart into it. You want to be in the NFL? Try out for one of their teams! You want to be in movies? Audition for something in Hollywood! Heck, it doesn't even have to be in Hollywood. There's a recording studio right here in Chicago, where I live! (Well, I live NEAR that city, not IN it. I'm just saying that because it's the only known city in Illinois.)

I can't tell you how glad I am that I found Vocal. With them, I have an enjoyable way of making money... without any experience. Well, that'd be a lie. I DO have experience; I just don't have any degrees in English yet as I'm going to college for that; but I think college will be an easy ride, if you catch my drift. I'm going to be an English teacher just in case the money I make here isn't enough to pay my bills. But whether or not I become famous... it's really up to you, my dear readers. If my writes aren’t so great, please, constructive criticism only. Don’t ridicule me for not being good at it from the start; though this isn’t my first time writing, this is my first time actually publishing my works and (hopefully) getting paid for it.

I don't like to pressure other people, which is why I'm going to college, but in reality, my fate is in your hands. I've got a backup plan, but... I want to do more than teach people how to write.

When it comes to money, you can either put your fate into the hands of a single employer or into the hands of the public. The public may sound more reckless, but... I'd like to live life on the edge. You've got to take those risks to chase your dreams.