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Job Number Two, Dishwasher

My second job was as a dishwasher. I had to get over my fear of answering machines for this one. This may really be dating me, but not many people in my town owned answering machines, so I had never had to leave a message before. The thought of my voice being recorded and able to play back at the listener’s whim was almost terrifying to me. Still, I was told that if I wanted the job, I’d have to leave a message. See, my cousin was a dishwasher at this restaurant, but she wanted to move up to waitress, so she thought she’d find her replacement, namely me.

I don’t remember what I said, but I know I was extremely nervous about that answering machine message. I’m sure it helped that I was recommended by my cousin, though I’m not sure she was the best character reference. She mustn’t have been that bad, though, because I was hired. I remembered the advice given to my by my cousin – Don’t work too hard or the boss will give you more and more work to do, including possibly cleaning his house. And don’t use too much dish detergent or you’ll get reprimanded for wasting it.

The job was insanely easy, but I enjoyed it. I cleared off tables and washed dishes. The cook seemed to like me, as he would ask if I wanted anything to eat. He offered to cook me anything I wanted, though I only remember ever asking for French fries.

One day I’ll never forget. The regular waitress called in sick, so my cousin filled in, with me as a backup. Let me just say that I now have the utmost respect for waitresses everywhere. I had no idea how hard a job it was. Of course, I had zero training. I had only my own recall of eating in restaurants. Needless to say, I screwed up orders all day long. Maybe that’s why I got such bad tips? Anyway, that was my first and last day as a waitress!

I lost my second job when the restaurant closed. The owner kept changing the days and hours of operation, so they didn’t have a good customer base, though the food was pretty decent as far as I was concerned. As a teenager, though, I’m not sure I was a good judge. One of the waitresses got a job at a nearby gas station, nearby as in less than a quarter mile away. After I started college, I filled out an application (by writing down my name and phone number and my available hours on a piece of paper), and that’s how I got my second job.
It’s all about who you know.