Random Ramblings of No Significant Significance
Though I avoid randomly talking about my life here because I prefer to remain topical, sometimes I just can't help but revert to ego-centrism here. So forgive me please, as today, I talk about my summer, the present, and looking to the future.
I spent all summer working 10-15 hours a day, 5-6 days a week at Busch Gardens as a supervisor in one of the food shops. For whatever reason, I thoroughly enjoyed the job. I loved the people I got to work with to death. From day one I started off with some vivacious and energetic Filipino and Thai workers. Later in the summer they were replaced by a number of Polish, Russian and eventually Turkish workers. I worked with a broad variety of people that included high school and college-aged Americans. It's the kind of job diversity you have a hard time finding in many places in the country.
More than that, I found the work very satisfying. I got to feel like I improved on a number of things during the summer. When Zuzana (a Slovakian co-worker of mine from the previous year) arrived, we worked as co-supervisors to make improvements in the shop that needed to be made last year. We set up routines that had never been established before, as well as determined a method of doing orders that resulted in us not running out of stuff all the time (which was sadly the case last year). I was always able to set goals and work hard to reach them.
Most of all, I loved the weird social interactions I was able to participate in due to my job. There were the random conversations with customers that came with being a cashier, there were the talks with guests that buy beer (for whatever reason, beer-purchasing guests are more inquisitive and talkative...oh wait...), and there were times when I had to handle irate guests. The greatest social interactions were the ones with my co-workers. I had more fun with some of these people than I'd had in years. Going to the international village (where all of Busch Gardens international workers lived) was always fun, especially since all the Russian and Filipino workers were absurd chain smokers and drinkers.
The day to day occurences within the park always lent themselves to random and new scenarios creating a work environment that always had something new to offer. My work never felt dull or repetitive because I could always find something new and interesting to do each day. I learned how to run and manage things that extended beyond my duties as a supervisor. In many ways I became an odd sort of errand boy at times, running random errands that had no relation to the functioning of my shop. I ultimately didn't mind as it afforded me an opportunity to learn how to do new things and meet even more people in the park.
Now, as I sit here back at school, I miss the physical exhaustion that I was rewarded with every day. One of my favorite and weird little thrills was working 13 hours and then sleeping for 4 hours before working another 12. I learned to live through exhaustion, but I also learned to love exhaustion. In exhaustion, I found some quiet from my ceaselessly noisy mind. I also just felt very satisfied after a long day of work. Most days now, I feel board and useless, lacking any immediate task with which to occupy myself. I'm excited about returning next summer. Even though that job never paid that much (at least not enough for how much effort I put into it), it was a great experience for me.
Since getting back to school, I decided to add a major in Hotel, Tourism and Management. Coupled with my philosophy degree, I have quite a deal more job opportunities that will be available to me after I leave college. I'm excited at the prospect of being able to work even more in the future, but I'm also frightened by the fact that for the first time in over a year, I no longer just want to teach philosophy. A part of me wants to work for a business running certain operations in the service industry. I couldn't tell you why this excites me, but it does. Looking to the future, I have the opportunity to make money by working with and over people in an effort to help them form self-sufficient teams. I want to establish certain things so that I can create good models of customer service. Ultimately, I want every guest who comes through my establishment to leave feeling like they had the greatest quality possible.
I've gone from an aspiring academic to a semi-aspiring academic with ambitions of real work in a real industry. Though the thought disturbs me to some extent, I'm excited and can't wait to start taking classes in my major.
Random rambling done, insignificant significance not yet signified...or something. Beats the hell out of me, it's 2:30a.m. and I'm going to bed. Good night/morning.
I spent all summer working 10-15 hours a day, 5-6 days a week at Busch Gardens as a supervisor in one of the food shops. For whatever reason, I thoroughly enjoyed the job. I loved the people I got to work with to death. From day one I started off with some vivacious and energetic Filipino and Thai workers. Later in the summer they were replaced by a number of Polish, Russian and eventually Turkish workers. I worked with a broad variety of people that included high school and college-aged Americans. It's the kind of job diversity you have a hard time finding in many places in the country.
More than that, I found the work very satisfying. I got to feel like I improved on a number of things during the summer. When Zuzana (a Slovakian co-worker of mine from the previous year) arrived, we worked as co-supervisors to make improvements in the shop that needed to be made last year. We set up routines that had never been established before, as well as determined a method of doing orders that resulted in us not running out of stuff all the time (which was sadly the case last year). I was always able to set goals and work hard to reach them.
Most of all, I loved the weird social interactions I was able to participate in due to my job. There were the random conversations with customers that came with being a cashier, there were the talks with guests that buy beer (for whatever reason, beer-purchasing guests are more inquisitive and talkative...oh wait...), and there were times when I had to handle irate guests. The greatest social interactions were the ones with my co-workers. I had more fun with some of these people than I'd had in years. Going to the international village (where all of Busch Gardens international workers lived) was always fun, especially since all the Russian and Filipino workers were absurd chain smokers and drinkers.
The day to day occurences within the park always lent themselves to random and new scenarios creating a work environment that always had something new to offer. My work never felt dull or repetitive because I could always find something new and interesting to do each day. I learned how to run and manage things that extended beyond my duties as a supervisor. In many ways I became an odd sort of errand boy at times, running random errands that had no relation to the functioning of my shop. I ultimately didn't mind as it afforded me an opportunity to learn how to do new things and meet even more people in the park.
Now, as I sit here back at school, I miss the physical exhaustion that I was rewarded with every day. One of my favorite and weird little thrills was working 13 hours and then sleeping for 4 hours before working another 12. I learned to live through exhaustion, but I also learned to love exhaustion. In exhaustion, I found some quiet from my ceaselessly noisy mind. I also just felt very satisfied after a long day of work. Most days now, I feel board and useless, lacking any immediate task with which to occupy myself. I'm excited about returning next summer. Even though that job never paid that much (at least not enough for how much effort I put into it), it was a great experience for me.
Since getting back to school, I decided to add a major in Hotel, Tourism and Management. Coupled with my philosophy degree, I have quite a deal more job opportunities that will be available to me after I leave college. I'm excited at the prospect of being able to work even more in the future, but I'm also frightened by the fact that for the first time in over a year, I no longer just want to teach philosophy. A part of me wants to work for a business running certain operations in the service industry. I couldn't tell you why this excites me, but it does. Looking to the future, I have the opportunity to make money by working with and over people in an effort to help them form self-sufficient teams. I want to establish certain things so that I can create good models of customer service. Ultimately, I want every guest who comes through my establishment to leave feeling like they had the greatest quality possible.
I've gone from an aspiring academic to a semi-aspiring academic with ambitions of real work in a real industry. Though the thought disturbs me to some extent, I'm excited and can't wait to start taking classes in my major.
Random rambling done, insignificant significance not yet signified...or something. Beats the hell out of me, it's 2:30a.m. and I'm going to bed. Good night/morning.
posted by Andrew McKenna at 11:06 PM
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