Nine Years Ago
Today is my work anniversary, I have worked for the same company for nine years now. At the time I got my job I did not think that I would find a permanent position anywhere and now I have been lucky enough to have had a job for nine years. It took two and half years and a few temporary jobs but I finally did it. I was on the verge of giving up hope but then I got an interview. I will say that there was a bit of nepotism involved, my Dad worked for the same company, but there was another person who interviewed that also had a family member who worked for the company so I like to think that the nepotism just got me in the door. I like to think that I clicked with the woman who interviewed me, and ended up becoming the person who trained me, right away. It was the best interview that I had and I felt confident about it.
I was so happy to get the call to let me know that I got the job. To celebrate I took myself to Streamwhistle Brewery and took a tour. It was fun and it was nice to have something to celebrate. One person that was very happy for me was my Grandpa. He always asked me how my job search was going and he believed that I would find something. My first day was two days after his birthday it was the best gift that I could give him. He sadly passed away a few months later but I think that he was happy to know that all his grandchildren where set and doing well. I always think about him a lot around this time of year.
I remember my first day pretty well. I had bought a new pair of dress shoes because the pair that I had wasn’t very comfortable for all day wear, but it was so rainy that day that I worried that I was going to have wet and muddy feet all day. I made it to the office dry and found my way to reception. They took my picture for a badge/keycard and then G took my to the room that we would be working in for the next week. The first thing that we did was go and pick up my computer from IT and then we got it all set up. G started to show me the system that I would be using, the learning had begun. I remember being taken around to met all the people who worked in the office, a lot of them don’t work for the company anymore. At lunch G went and had lunch with some coworkers while I stayed in the room and ate by myself. I needed the break. I read a book while I ate, I was reading The Thorne Birds at the time, and tried not to forget everything that I had learned that morning. The afternoon flew by and before I knew I was packing up my things and heading home.
The trip home was time to decompress. The day went so well. I got along with G, I felt like I was understanding everything that I learned that day, and I was starting to feel confident that this was the right position for me. I was exhausted by the time I got home and I was so happy that I had thought ahead and had pre-made some meals so that I wouldn’t have to worry about cooking that week. I ate and then went to bed early. The rest of the week followed much the same as that first day. And that as they say is history.
It is funny to think about how different and yet how the same everything is since that first day. G retired, I was promoted and I feel like I have grown a lot. My family has changed, but I still live in the same tiny apartment. Doing the same thing every day could have become very monotonous but there are still things that challenge me and I continue to try to be the best I can at my job. I am confident in my ability but I know that I there are still things to learn.
There might be days that I don’t love my job, there might be days when I hate my job, but I am always so grateful to have my job. It has given me a pretty good life and I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.