The Things I Have Done
When I meet someone new online, like on TikTok or somewhere, and we start chatting, they often ask, “Where do you work?” I tell them I’m retired. Then they ask, “Where did you work before you retired?” And I’m just like, “Ahaha… where do I even begin? Which decade? Which year? Which month in that decade?” Honestly, it feels a bit ridiculous or absurd, and I never know how to respond.
The last thing I did was drive for over two and a half years, and it was fantastic. Before that, I was a stay-at-home parent. I’ve been a writer since I was young and have done so many other things that I can’t even remember them all without looking at a resume. Back in college, when I was job hunting at Dallas Fort Worth Airport, I handed them a resume that was several pages long, listing all the jobs I’d done up to that point. Since then, the list has grown significantly, so it would take a while to recount everything I’ve done.
Until I come back and fill in the details, I’m going to leave a few things online that I’ve shared before. Below, you’ll find a link to something I prepared a few years ago, along some information I posted on an old website in 2016. Both are almost up to date since I haven’t done much with them since then. Let’s take a look and see just how incredible my work has been.
My Resume up to 2016
The following paragraphs were writen in 2016 for another website:
I took my first job when I was fifteen in a store called “Curry’s Grocery,” a quarter mile or so from where I lived. I worked there a few months until the manager and I had a parting of ways. It was a little country store that had gas pumps and a fresh meat market. I ran a cash register, pumped gas (stores did that back then!), cut and wrapped meat, stocked and cleaned the store, and cleaned the laundromat in the back of the store.
I went from Curry’s to a real dump of a store called “Sharky’s Market.” It had wooden floors, unkept shelves, a large meat market, and a bad reputation in town. We sold glue to kids (for sniffing) and vanilla flavoring to taxi drivers and old men (for drinking). We sold the worst kind of adult magazines and black-cover paperback books. The magazines were in full view on the counter, tits and all, until the city got a bit unhappy about it and the owner Bill Windsor (Sharky’s was a previous owner) went to court with the city. That’s a funny story for another time. I left Sharky’s when Bill refused to let me off for a school function.
The third job I got was at Krogers which promptly closed a week after I started. From there I worked at A&W Root Beer burger joint, Dairy Queen, and somewhere else I think though I’ve forget. It has been over forty years! About that time I quit high school and joined the Air Force. While I waited to go in I worked as a laborer for a construction company.
And that was just my first years of employment starting while I was in high school.
The Air Force was a different world. I entered in March of 1974. I studied Air Conditioning and Refrigeration at Shepard Air Force Base and then went to my first duty station at Tinker in Midwest City, a suburb of Oklahoma City. Exactly a year later I was honorably discharged. My Air Force experience is yet another story for another time.
There follows one hell of a jumbled up mess of jobs, career changes, college classes, moves and months of unemployment. On this blog site I’ll get pictures of what I can find. Meanwhile, the easiest way to tell what I’ve done most of my life is to simply post my resume’. It’s not complete, by a very long shot, but it gives some hit about all the things I have done. Here it is, for better or worse.
Education:
Bachelor of Arts
Corpus Christi State University ~ 1989
Also:
Truck Driver Training Certification ~ 1993
A/C and Refrigeration Mechanic Certification ~ 1975
Attended:
Community College of the Air Force, Wichita Falls, TX
Angelina College, Lufkin, TX
Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX
Corpus Christi State university, Corpus Christi, TX
Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX
Northeast Texas Community College, Hughes Springs, TX
Summary
Ted Gresham is a mature, competent, versatile, innovative, educated, experienced, and motivated individual. He has a diverse background and varied experience. He is a published freelance writer who has been a homemaker and stay-at-home dad for several years.
Ted’s background in hands-on blue-collar employment, truck driving, and other varied fields has provided opportunity to develop a broad perspective and develop excellent problem-solving skills. Couple those with his education, administrative and office skills and experience and he’s an individual that can be depended upon to exceed expectations.
Ted is a skilled communicator and published writer. He has experience in writing reports, legal documents, and other forms of writing. He has three and a half years of experience in government office environment. He’s highly organized. He’s experienced in interviewing, data collection, investigations, and evaluation. Ted is familiar with many types office software and Windows operating systems. He’s an expert in word processing. Moreover He has worked with state agency specific and general data bases, LAN and statewide systems, Internet software including browsers, e-mail, ftp, and more. He’s familiar with the Internet as used for information, research, website design, communications. He has many years experience with PC’s, setup, installation of software, troubleshooting, maintenance.
Current Activity and Work History
Child Care, Stay-at-home Parent
Caring for children in home, foster children, general household duties. Child supervision, training, general care taking responsibilities. Cared for children ages five days to thirteen years.
Recent Employment:
Data Entry Specialist (2002/2003)
Moore North America
5903 North Street Nacogdoches, TX 75961
Data Entry Specialist, order processing.
Office Assistant (2002)
Hutch Aviation Center, Inc.
A.L. Manghum Airport Nacogdoches, TX 75964
General office responsibilities, booking flight training sessions, minimal sales of flight-related gear, maps, etc. General bookkeeping and record keeping.
Publication Developer/Member (2002)
American Reform Association, Inc.
Member of the American Reform Association, a truck driver lobby group, worked to develop a publication for truck drivers called Driver’s Advocate. Job was to develop the business plan, serve as editor and writer, and see to the publishing of the magazine. The project was terminated when the Association failed to obtain financing for the effort.
Truck Driver (2000 – 2002)
| Soil Fertility of Texas 2824 Northwest Stallings Drive Nacogdoches, TX 75964 | Arnold Transportation Services 1919 Spence Street Lufkin, TX 75901 | CX Transportation 4706 Fidelity Houston, TX 77029 |
Drove tractor-trailer, long haul and regional, delivery of dry bulk commodities (Soil Fertility/CX Transportation) and general freight (Arnold Transportation). Area covered included all southern-tier states from California to Georgia, all states east of Interstate 35 other than New England.
Eligibility Specialist (1996 – 2000)
Texas Department of Human Services
210 Christie
Lufkin, TX 75904
Determined specific and general eligibility for government programs, food stamps, Medicaid, TANF/AFDC. Maintained caseload 30-50 families, detailed interviews, financial and general background information collection, background checks, investigations, evaluations, eligibility determination. Government office environment.
Other Employment:
Truck Driving
Oakridge Transportation, Long Haul Driver, 1993
J. B. Hunt Transport, Long Haul Driver, 1993
Management
Ken’s Pizza, Assistant Manager, Lufkin, TX 1977-78
Primo’s Pizza, Assistant Manager, Corpus Christi, TX 1985 – 86
Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Associate/Trainee, Corpus Christi, TX 1990 – 91
Clerical/ Data Entry/ Work Study
Dept. of Veteran’s Affairs, Veteran’s Representative Aide, Texas Employment Commission, Nacogdoches, TX- 1983
Swantner & Gordon Insurance, Data Entry, Corpus Christi, TX 1985
Gulf Stream Condominiums, Desk Clerk, Corpus Christi, TX 1989
Radio Announcer/ Program Director/ Media
KSPL Radio, Announcer, Lufkin – 1978 and 1980
KBSN Radio, Program Director, Crane, TX 1981
Education Media Center, Media Assistant, SFA University, Nacogdoches, TX 1983
KSFA Radio, Announcer, Nacogdoches, TX 1983-84
Electrical/ Air Conditioning
Action Service Company, A/C Mechanic Helper, Lufkin, TX 1977
Shea – Shea Electric, Electrician Helper/ Stock Clerk, Lufkin, TX 1978
Angelina Mobile Home Service, Service Mechanic, Lufkin, TX 1979
Miller Service Company, A/C Mechanic, Dallas, TX 1980
Air-Frig, A/C Mechanic, Portland, TX 1986
Other
East Texas Adult Education Coop, Adult Education Instructor, Rusk, ISD, Rusk, TX 1992