Work
In May of 1993 I rode my bicycle up Highway 103, to Curry’s Grocery, not far from my home. I asked for a job. They hired me for $.75 an hour. That was the first of many jobs I’ve had through the years. I’ve worked as a cashier, cook, radio announcer, delivery driver, truck driver, caseworker, air conditioning tech, electrician, maintenance worker, auto rental agent and a few other things. I was a foster-parent and home parent for over a decade. In 2020 I was an Uber/Lyft driver. I’d been driving in Houston for two and a half years. I had to stop driving because of Covid. That was my last job.
Through the years I attended two tech schools and four colleges. I got a BA in History in 1689. I took a variety of classes including government, pre-law and counseling. I learned a lot, changed my mind several times, chased a few dreams and on occasion just worked to make a buck or two. This section is all about my working life.
I’m like my daddy…
My dad always said he could sit and watch a man work all day long. Me too! Ahh, but like him, I did work. I worked a lot and all over the place. For a nuts-and-bolts view, CLICK HERE.
Curry’s Grocery
My very first job! Ms. Curry was a nice lady. She hired me for a pittance and put me to work stocking shelves and cleaning floors. A few weeks after I started, she turned the store over to a young man, Mike, a relative of hers but i don’t remember how they were related. Mike gave me an immediate raise and expanded my job duties to include everything that could be done, from cashier to gas attendant, stocking to cleaning. I was also put in charge of cleaning a laundromat which was part of the store. I worked there several months, until my “Mission” got in the way, the first of many times it would. I wanted to go to a youth service. Mike wanted me to work. We were both in a bad mood. I told Mike to eat a frog and then I quit. OK, so, I was fifteen. Give me a break!
Sharkey’s Market
Sharkey’s Market was not owned by Sharkey, whoever that was. It had been purchased by Bill Windsor long before I started working there in the fall of 1973. It had also gained a very seedy reputation. Sharkey’s sold a host of porno, including magazines such as Playboy and OI and Penthouse and a dozen or more other more explicit publications. Those magazines were displayed right on the counter when I started working there. Beneath the counter was a box of exceptionally graphic porn paperbacks, black covers with deceptive titles. Trust me, very porno and very deceptive. This is just a few things about my time at Sharkey’s that was interesting, to say the least.
Newspaper Delivery
I’ve always loved paper newspapers. I love the feel of them, the smell, and the news and information within them. Once I wanted to be a newspaper reporter. Shows and movies that had anything to do with newspapers were my favorites. I have written many things and lots of formats for different kinds of places, but I never got anything in a newspaper, except for letters to the editor which I’ve sent many times. But I have had closer relations with the process. I actually delivered newsprint when I drove big trucks. More than that, several times in my life I have been a newspaper carrier and once even a distributer. Though circumstances limited my time in that field (as it always does for me) I really loved the job of throwing and distributing newspapers. I find it very sad that these days paper newspapers are disappearing, and only older folks appreciate the wonder of newsprint information. It’s one of many joys that seem to be fading away with my generation.
Oakridge – The Goddamned School of Truck Driving
Filled with sleepless nights, cigarette smoke, dangerous turns, grueling schedules, roadside humor, and moments of surprising humanity, the story captures the raw reality of over-the-road trucking and the strange bond formed between two stubborn men sharing thousands of miles of highway. Beneath the colorful language and rough-edged encounters lies a deeper reflection on loneliness, sacrifice, hard work, and the kind of lessons only learned through long nights behind the wheel.
A whole lot more coming soon!