Blue Collared Shirt.
Last week my good friend Brandon and I went to go fill out applications for temp work at a staffing company. It was hilarious filling out the math section; there was this long division section (really takes you back) and these simplistic questions like "If Jane bought two hotdogs for .75 cents and 3 apple pies for $ 1.50 and gave you $ 10.00 dollars how much change would you give her?" It was entertaining for the afternoon; I must say Brandon is one individual whom I get along with so well and feel so comfortable with that I can literally do anything with him. We both ended up getting jobs- and soon entered the world of industrial employment...
I work in a factory. Literally, it is a packaging company and I work with machinery on a assembly line. (Think 8 Mile) My first day on the job I almost soiled myself! It was not what I was expecting at all, and my introductory greeting was "So do you have your steel toed boots?" Right away I ran out to my car to check the employment assignment sheet to make sure I was at the correct location. In deed I was. I hate to sound like such a "princess," but it's pure blue collar labor. It was like fucking culture shock to me- which is a parody in itself. This is America damnit, we're founded on industrial employment, assembly lines and blue collar work. (Hello, remember Henry Ford?) I basically wear a hard hat and operate machinery and do verbatim and simplistic tasks over and over for 8 hours straight. Besides the redundant tasks at hand, I enjoy the idea of working in a factory with hard working people. Although, when you get down to it, it's rather sad- I am a "working college student" and they are "working workers" so to speak. This is their life. I have no even reached my twenties. They are in their forties. I feel like I am not benefiting resume wise and I am not gaining any futuristic skills career wise. It does however, instill good working ethics and for that I am grateful. I am also grateful for the hard work my parents have accomplished to allow me the opportunities I have to educate myself. I feel so privileged to be able to earn an education.
It was quite humorous telling my parents and friends about my new position as a factory worker. It just bewilders me that all these factories and manufacturers exist right here in my hometown. All these companies running and operating to serve us. I really felt uncomfortable inside debating whether it was acceptable to me morally to think I was better in a sense than the people there. So much of me wanted to scream "I don't belong here!" So much of me wanted to calm myself by reiterating the fact that I could be in charge of these people someday- I could me mayor and working to establish better wages and benefits. It may suffice to get me by for that particular 8 hour shift, but it verges on complacency within me.
I work in a factory. Literally, it is a packaging company and I work with machinery on a assembly line. (Think 8 Mile) My first day on the job I almost soiled myself! It was not what I was expecting at all, and my introductory greeting was "So do you have your steel toed boots?" Right away I ran out to my car to check the employment assignment sheet to make sure I was at the correct location. In deed I was. I hate to sound like such a "princess," but it's pure blue collar labor. It was like fucking culture shock to me- which is a parody in itself. This is America damnit, we're founded on industrial employment, assembly lines and blue collar work. (Hello, remember Henry Ford?) I basically wear a hard hat and operate machinery and do verbatim and simplistic tasks over and over for 8 hours straight. Besides the redundant tasks at hand, I enjoy the idea of working in a factory with hard working people. Although, when you get down to it, it's rather sad- I am a "working college student" and they are "working workers" so to speak. This is their life. I have no even reached my twenties. They are in their forties. I feel like I am not benefiting resume wise and I am not gaining any futuristic skills career wise. It does however, instill good working ethics and for that I am grateful. I am also grateful for the hard work my parents have accomplished to allow me the opportunities I have to educate myself. I feel so privileged to be able to earn an education.
It was quite humorous telling my parents and friends about my new position as a factory worker. It just bewilders me that all these factories and manufacturers exist right here in my hometown. All these companies running and operating to serve us. I really felt uncomfortable inside debating whether it was acceptable to me morally to think I was better in a sense than the people there. So much of me wanted to scream "I don't belong here!" So much of me wanted to calm myself by reiterating the fact that I could be in charge of these people someday- I could me mayor and working to establish better wages and benefits. It may suffice to get me by for that particular 8 hour shift, but it verges on complacency within me.
posted by Angela Nicole Gray at 12:03 AM
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