TBT 'My Father's Career'

So, everyone knows I love writing, I love sharing new pieces, old pieces, from poems to essays. Today I’m posting this special piece from a long time ago to share my evolution in writing. This is an essay I wrote in the 8th grade for a home economics assignment. We were to pick an adult in our lives and interview them with a questionnaire from the teacher and write an essay about their career from their answers and descriptions. I chose my father because not only did I love to travel by train growing up, but he and his father were both MTA employees, and I greatly admired both of them. I remember we did the questionnaire in the kitchen while he was doing the dishes. Looking back, I wish I had written my sentences better, elaborated more rather than answer them like an employee pamphlet, because English was always my best subject, but I cut myself some slack here because I was in the 8th grade! But I’m still proud of it because somehow I got an A on the paper, and I’m so happy I have this in my possession as I share it on May 1st, the thirteenth anniversary of his death. (*I fixed a couple of typos from the original paper).

“My Father’s Career”

Home and Careers

12-01-2002

I chose to interview my father, Jim, because his job is very interesting. He works for the Long Island Railroad. He served four years in the military before joining the company. He has been working in his career now for 18 years and took the job after his father. There is good pay where my father works, and the only thing he does not like about his job is working for the Union.

Dad’s job on the railroad is to inspect the trains and to ensure the safety of passengers on the train. He also inspects the components of a railroad car, air supply, and engines. The work hours are from 4-12 AM and he works every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Work is mostly outdoors at what they call “The Yard.” The Yard is only to be entered by railroad employees or your family members. When my family goes to the yard, we can’t spend hours there. Only minutes. If we are there with my dad then that is different because we are with a railroad employee. But if you are not a railroad employee or your family member does not work at the railroad, then you cannot enter. The job is very dangerous and requires a partner to watch for you when you’re working underneath the train (what my dad does). My dad does work with other people and it is really never lonely. He works with a lot of tools, special equipment, and wears special clothing. One time my Dad came home with some oil on him from from working under the train. He keeps a pair of work jeans in his drawer and wears them to work so he will not care if they get dirty. To work in the railroad, you need to be in decent shape and physically fit. You need to be skilled with tools, have to know how to read and write, have to be able to read blueprint and electric programs, troubleshoot problems on a train (training for this is two years). There is no age requirement but you need to be old enough to work. [The] job is for everyone, both men and women [and] need to be strong enough to do the job. You need to get along with other people when working in a team and be willing to work. You need to be a high school graduate and have to go to college. Long Island Railroad Company likes it when you have served in the military full-time because it shows that you are willing to work and that you are strong enough to work. The apprenticeship includes both classroom and on the job training. My Dad went to school in New York City before he started working in the Babylon village Long Island Railroad car wash. Both certificates and licenses are required for certain railroad jobs. There is a test to make sure you can read and write and do math. They also test you for drugs like the military does. The money they pay is very good. Promotion opportunities are very good. Railroad offers promotions. The requirements needed to get a promotion are: you have to spend one year with the railroad and have a college education in the specific job area. Dad does get overtime, health, dental, and eye insurance, and vacation time. Vacation days are the longer you work with the railroad, the longer days you get for vacation. Dad has had other jobs before the railroad. He has worked as a lifeguard, doorman at clubs, a bartender, worked in a gift shop, supermarket, state hospital, and four years of military service.

I do not think I would want this job because it is too dangerous and I’m not that strong. I do not plan on going into the military and I am focused right now on either becoming an actress or a doctor. If those two do not work out, then maybe a secretary. Maybe my brother would take the job after our father and our grandfather.