Health & Fitness

What do you Remember About Your First Summer Job?

School's been out for a few weeks now, and while some teenagers are helping with camps or interning at NASA, others are lounging in the sun with a good book in hand.  But there are also those who are dabbling in the work force for the very first time. The latter applied to me in the summer of 2000.

At 16, I was thrilled to accept a position in the kitchen at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Stephens County, near my hometown of Toccoa.

"It pays $5.50 an hour," the manager said.

"Sounds good to me," I replied. And it did.  Minimum wage at the time was $5.15, so I was rolling in dough.

Yes, I had to be up at the crack of dawn to prepare for the droves of summer campers who'd make their way into the dining hall, spilling grape juice every which way.

Yes, I'd fill countless tea dispenser after tea dispenser. "Needs more sugar," the kids would say.  And it did. (It took time for this Southern transplant to get the tea just oh-so-sweet.)

And yes, by 1:50 p.m. when the lunch crowd had withered to a few stray campers stuffing chocolate chip cookies into their pockets, I'd wipe clean fingerprints from the glass doors, glance at the lake and prepare to punch the clock.  I could hardly wait to join my sunbathing friends.

But at the same time I was grateful for job, the responsibility, the pride that accompanied it all.

And I wouldn't trade that summer for all the sweet tea in Georgia. (I really do like my tea sweet!)

What do you remember about your first summer job?  Whether your took a gig as a lifeguard at the recreation department or served up fries "with that,"  share in the comments below.  Or post a longer response as a blog!


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