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  • My first work stories

    This is gonna be a long read, so if you take the time to read it, I thank you. I know this isn't artifact related, but y'all can expect some more artifact related posts from me in the near future.


    So some of y'all may remember my previous thread remarking upon the fact that I am now finally employed after a three month job search. At the age of 19, I've left home, my family, my pets, my friends, a girl I was very fond of, my community, my state, and traveled 650 miles away to Pennsylvania to search for a high paying job. My first job.

    I have high standards.

    So I got a job at a takeout container plant that makes a ridiculous amount of takeout containers, reusable containers, microwaveable containers, all sorts of things that I never gave a second thought about in my unemployed life. When I applied, I didn't think it was at all a glamorous job, and it really wasn't something I was interested in. But I wasn't going to say no to the great pay and amazing benefits.


    So the first three days were for training my greenhorn self, and I am glad they chose to ease me into it. It would be 8 hour day shift for 3 days, from 7:00am to 3:00pm. I set my alarm for 5:00am, got up, guzzled a coffee, and sat around for a bit before heading off to the plant. I arrived half an hour early, and was the first in line waiting to clock in. Not too long after I arrived at my spot, an older fellow walked in and did a double take. He looked at me and asked, (paraphrasing) "Just who in the heck are you!?" I was taken aback by this question, but I answered with my name, and the fact that I was new to the company. Apparently I had broken this mans 15 year streak of being the first in line to clock in.

    When the time came, I clocked in, and was taken to a safety meeting to start the day. It was a bunch of really basic stuff, and it ended quickly. At the end, the head of HR who was presenting the meeting, asked if anyone wanted to sign up for the CPR/Emergency Medical training class that they would be having in August. The class would take several days, and for a couple hours each day, I would learn to do the basic CPR/First aid, as well as how to handle other medical emergencies. All who took the class would get a red cross on their hardhat, and the title, "Emergency Medical Technician". My dad was an EMT for over 30 years, so this sounded like something I wanted to do. I stood up and walked over and signed my name.


    After the meeting concluded, a lady took me to the production floor to meet my "boss/supervisor" for the next three days.

    It is very loud in the plant, so all people on the production floor have to wear hearing protection. This made it very difficult to hear anyone, and in order to say anything, you'd have to yell. My supervisor, Jessica, waved me and the other fellow who was to be training with me over, and yelled "are ya ready kids?"

    Please don't tell me my boss watches SpongeBob.

    She took us over to he first set of machines. Containers would come down a conveyor belt in short stacks. You had to double stack these containers, but not double stack the lids. You'd take a plastic bag, and slip it over the containers, then flip them over, and place three bags of lids on the bottom, and three bags of containers on top. Then you'd close the lid of the box, and run it through a machine that would tape the box for you, and it would travel to the end of a conveyor belt and end up in a waiting area for you to place it on a pallet. After the pallet was full, you'd place a label on the top right corner box so the forklift drivers knew it was ready. It sounds easy right?

    The machines were fast.

    Very quickly I found out that boredom would not be a problem with this job. Everything was very fast paced, and while I was completing the steps I outlined above, I also inspected the containers for defects. Yelling over the din, Jess explained what to look for. "Flash" was excess plastic that stuck out where a mold seam would be. A "short" was when there was a deficient amount of plastic flowing into the mold, and the container would literally be "short" of plastic. Burns were self explanatory. If one container had a defect, the whole stack would be thrown into a bin called a "gaylord". Depending on the defect, you'd have to report it to a technician, who would shut the machine down to fix it. Not long after she explained what to look for, I found some defective containers. I flagged her down, and she took a look at them and then ran off to find a tech. She came back and found the other fellow who was being trained, was packing the defective containers. I was inspecting them, he wasn't. She didn't get mad, hell she didn't even looked annoyed. She pointed out his mistake, and then ran through what to look for again.

    A couple of hours went by, and break time came. I learned that half hour breaks at work are the worlds fastest half hours. I ate my sandwich and got back out to the staging area before Jess and the other guy showed up. We then were taken to a different set of machines, that were the same as the first, but with different shaped containers. The rest of the day passed quickly, and as I clocked out, I couldn't believe how tired I was, and how much everything hurt. My knees, my back, my neck, my arms... everything. Jess showed us out, and explained that being a packer uses muscles that you don't always work out on a daily basis, so for a couple of weeks we would hurt, but our bodies would get used to it.

    That's a bonus. I get a workout, and cardio all day long.


    The next morning, I was first in line again, and was waiting to get working. I waited in the staging area with Jess waiting for the other guy to show up.


    He never did.



    So now I'd be working three machines at once. Have you ever seen the conveyor belt scene in "I Love Lucy? Just watch this video first.






    This what what I felt like. I was running from machine to machine, bagging, stacking, flipping, boxing, panting, you name it. Jess came over, told me to slow down, keep calm, and breathe. She then showed me her technique for handling multiple machines, and what route to take so I wasn't wasting energy. It took me a bit to get the hang of the new bagging technique, but soon I was cranking out a couple of pallets.


    Break time came, and the day previous, I noticed the wonderful array of sandwiches and drinks being sold in the break room. I didn't pack a lunch because I decided that I'd just buy one of these sandwiches. I picked one out, went to pay, and panicked when I couldn't find an option other than to pay with a company card, which I did not have. I looked around the break room, and decided that I didn't want to be the "new guy" asking how in the hell you buy a sandwich, so I left and ran up and down the halls looking for Jess. The embarrassment of asking was met with an answer that made me feel a bit better. She did the same thing on her first day too. Apparently there is a button that you press on the side of the machine that lets you pay by card. I did, and choked down the sandwich two minutes before I went back to work.

    The next set of machines were actually fun to work, as I got to operate the conveyor belt and set it to my own speed. I still had it set up to run at a heightened pace so I could make more pallets. At the end of the day, I was wiped out. I was working so much, I forgot how tired I was. I went home, took a shower, and went right to bed.



    The next day I was thrown in the lions den.


    This time I was put in charge of a machine that would send eight stacks of containers, and eight stacks of lids down the line and to my station. I had to manually stop the conveyor each time, otherwise everything would crash to the floor. I had to hurry up and bag everything before the machine decided to send eight more stacks of everything, otherwise the conveyor would start up whether I was finished or not. I worked like a madman, stacking, packing, boxing, taping, stacking again, labeling and repeating. This went on for about an hour before the white container lids came out black and smoking.

    I hit the alarm bell and shut the machine down. Jess came running over, and then her eyes got big. She took off to find a tech. Apparently the machine had a major malfunction, and it seared the plastic to the point of blackening. The whole place stunk. The techs shut down everything and began working on fixing it. I thought I was safe. They'd put me back in the area I was working yesterday.

    They didn't.

    Jess took me down to the deli section, and set me to stacking the boxes that other packers were packing, and using a pallet jack to take the full pallets to the floor so the forklifts could carry them away. I'd also stock new pallets. This job I liked, because I actually got to work with Jessica's oldest son. He was a cool guy, and we raced each other seeing if we could out stack each other. That has to be weird, having your mother as your boss at work. It He won't be the only one either. His brother is starting this Tuesday, and his other brother next Friday. His sister works in the warehouse already. The company owes a debt of gratitude to Jess for personally supplying the plant with four employees, lol!

    After break, she took me back down to deli again to pack the boxes that were coming off the line I was stacking earlier. She yelled, "the next half hour of your life is going to be hell! Just stay calm, okay?"

    Uh oh.


    Immediately, I began to regret everything. Working here, moving to Pennsylvania, being born.... The machines were nightmarishly fast. So the way it works, is that several machines make different sized cups for the stuff you see at a deli section of a grocery store (potato salad, etc.). The machines made three sizes, small, medium, and large. Each container went into a different color bag. Small went in yellow bags, medium went in orange, and large went in green. The machines also made lids. These went in white bags.

    Each type of container went into its own box. There were three taping machines that you would run a box through after you packed it, (you had to put the box in a machine that would close the bottom for you) and someone would take the box and stack it on a pallet. Myself and another were fellow working the conveyer, and this time I knew I was in really deep trouble.


    I was sweating. I had sweat running into my eyes. I was panicking. The containers kept coming, and the damned things wouldn't get into the boxes. I made several mistakes, but Jess came over and corrected them. I told her, half jokingly, but half serious, "I shoulda worked at McDonalds!" The guy I was working with spoke Spanish with broken English. He saw me panicking and struggling, and he took time to come and put his hand on my shoulder and say "No panic. Breathe in, out. Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast". He showed me his technique of grabbing the bags, calmly, but quickly walking over to his box, and placing them in (it's really hard to explain how he put them in). I made several mistakes, the same mistakes, but he didn't get annoyed. He came over, showed me how to do it again, saying "No panic" and giving me the thumbs up. After several attempts, I finally repeated his technique, to which he walked over and gave me a high five. it felt good. The next two hours went very smoothly, even to the point where I was outpacing him. He was grinning, and I was too. I was working so hard, I forgot how tired I was and how bad my feet felt. My shift ended and so did my days working day shift.

    Jess clocked out with me and then recommended several tips for what kind of shoes to buy, what inserts to get, good foods to eat before work, exercises to do in the evening before work, and the morning after work. I told her, that now I knew why adults drink a beer at night. She laughed, and said that when I turn 21, she'd gladly by my first legal beer. I thanked her for everything, and got in my car, but didn't leave. I made sure she drove off, and then walked back to the offices, and asked to speak with HR.


    The HR lady had a look of concern on her face. I think she thought I was quitting. She asked me how I liked the job, and I told her the truth. I love it. I told her that I came back in to let her know about how much I appreciated the help Jess and Armad (the guy in the deli section) were. I told her about my sheer panic, and how he calmed me down and helped me out, all while keeping up with his own work. I told her about how Jessica took her time with me, and was very patient and helpful. I then told her that I would do my absolute best, and I would show up early, and leave late. I think she was in a state of shock. She was expecting me to quit. She thanked me very much for the information, and mentioned that it was about time Armad got a promotion. That made me pretty happy. The guy deserves it. I went down the stairs, saw a board where you could sign up for additional training. I signed up for robotics operation and repair training. They'll teach me how to operate the robots, and gradually, over time, teach me how to fix them. After a year, I can graduate to a low level technician, which is a hell of a pay increase.

    Yes, I feel tired, but I'll get used to it. Unfortunately, the shift I'll be working won't be with the folks who helped me. I'll be clocking out by the time Jess, Armad, and the others clock in. I'll still be able to wave I guess. When I'm eligible, I'll probably ask for a transfer.


    It finally hit me on the way home from my final day shift. Wow, I'm a real adult now. I set my alarm, get up, eat, shower and head off for work. I clock in, put on my hardhat and gloves and make money by supplying takeout containers to restaurants across America. Today, I was in a Cracker Barrel, and in the kitchen, I could see a box of takeout containers sitting in the corner. It had my companies name on it, and I could tell from the stamped code on it, that it came from my factory. That really made me proud, though in the grand scheme of things, it's nothing much. Nobody thinks about the guy sweating his butt off at the end of a conveyor belt when they ask the waiter for a takeout box to bring their food home. And that's okay, I don't expect anyone to. For now, I'm just happy that I have a purpose, no matter how insignificant.


    Until then, I shall long await the day next year, when I can finally have a beer after work.





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    "The education of a man is never completed until he dies." Robert E. Lee

  • #2
    Good for you Nathan..Maybe even have time to find a point or two after awhile.🤗
    Floridaboy.

    Comment


    • #3
      And so goes the rest of your life, But remember DONT settle. If a RR job is what you really want dont stop trying for it. No regrets, shoulda"s, coulda"s, woulda"s. Dont me like me and spend 30yrs doing something that I hated because it was what was expected of me because that what my father, Gfather done. Yes I had somewhat high prestige and made good money, But the toll it took on my body and hating everyday was not worth any of it.

      Comment


      • #4
        Glad you are not a quitter. There are benefits to manual labor.

        "The sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much. But as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep" Ecclesiastes 5:12


        South Carolina

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        • Hal Gorges
          Hal Gorges commented
          Editing a comment
          Amen 🙏..Maybe I need to “knapp”more so I can get some sleep 😊

      • #5
        I like you already. Keep at it. That first pay check will be so sweet.

        Comment


        • Kentucky point
          Kentucky point commented
          Editing a comment
          I plan on spoiling myself with the first paycheck. A donut with sprinkles, instead of glazed....

      • #6
        Welcome to the real world young man.
        I did the exact same thing at 19 years old, and still can’t even look at macaroni and cheese, breakfast, lunch and supper for months.
        railroad lost a good young man by letting you walk… you have what it takes to succeed at anything you do continue your work ethic, and attitude.
        another 40+ years and you’re ready for retirement…. Keep kick’n it K.P….👍
        Southeastern Minnesota’s driftless area

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        • Kentucky point
          Kentucky point commented
          Editing a comment
          I already have plans... I want to retire and move to Culpeper County Virginia, a nice farm with fields and woods... A little early to plan, but I can dream.

      • #7
        Way to go, good for you.
        Searching the fields of NW Indiana and SW Michigan

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        • #8
          Congrats on a good, hard day’s work.
          Some of my fondest memories are the ones working the hardest…Grandpa’s farm, teenage jobs, etc.!
          Where at in PA?
          Flint Eastwood
          northwestern Pennsylvania

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          • Kentucky point
            Kentucky point commented
            Editing a comment
            In Schuylkill county, coal country.

        • #9
          Thats awesome Ethan. Sorry I am late to the party. You write well. I felt like I was working on the line with you.
          TN formerly CT Visit our store http://stores.arrowheads.com/store.p...m-Trading-Post

          Comment


          • Kentucky point
            Kentucky point commented
            Editing a comment
            I'm on break right now. 😁

        • #10
          Well done Ethan 👏🏼 If the working life goes wrong you can easily take up writing as a profession.
          Bruce
          In life there are losers and finders. Which one are you?

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