Life is hard and then you die or so I’m
told, don’t believe all that you hear work is as hard as it needs to be, some
jobs are shit trust me, I know I have had some real crap ones hahaha.
As I have said previously in many books
and blogs times were hard in our house hold after my dad buggered off into his
own little world and my mum for want of a better word was punished by the
system. Why? Because she was honest, she didn’t want anything for nothing but
she did find it hard to be told we would be better off if we were put into
care, that was never an option and at the age of eleven my brother went and got
a paper round so that he could have some money in his pocket, soon he had all
six morning rounds where we lived and he gave half his earnings to my mum which
made me feel crap so I went to the same shop as my brother (I was eight) did
the papers for and Alan the guy owning it had to turn me down, the paper bags
were bigger than me and whether he took pity on me or not he let me stack
shelves and sort papers out all the little odd jobs and he paid me well, I used
to get fifty pence a week, I was there whenever the shop was open so I think he
got the best part of the bargain, when I got older I ended up doing all the
paper rounds for the night time and my brother and me split the Sunday rounds
we worked hard.
Through the summer months one of my dad’s
friends would check in on us and as he
was a builder he would use me and my brother to do prep work for him digging
paths up and helping with fences that kind of work and again he paid us fairly
for what we did, it wasn’t to last as we soon had studies to do as well as
other things that kids did in those days especially living in the countryside
as we did, I had no complaints times were hard but we were honest and I did
believe that’s all you needed to get by in the world.
Since the age of five all I had wanted to
do was become a soldier and at the age of thirteen I got my placement I was going
to join the junior leaders at Shorncliffe Barracks when I left school so
consequently I didn’t really try at school I wasn’t a bad kid but I had my
dream job I didn’t need any qualifications I had my place (oh dear) so you can
imagine how happy I was when I was medically discharged a lunatic in the third
degree with no idea what to do work wise with only a few decent exam results
(the lessons I loved) thankfully the army got me a placement with a local
electrical company, but because I could string two words together (just) I was
put in the wholesale side of things and then moved through the firm until I
ended up in the Bicycle department (the guy who owned the company would sell
anything) but it soon got the better of me it was too easy to go to the pub and
I tended to be belligerent with people who lied to the owner when they didn’t
get what they wanted, the final straw was when the owners dad who played Santa
in the store came in completely rat arsed and I was bundled into the outfit
with a cushion for the belly, I probably scarred those kids for life hahaha
soon after I had to go for another medical with the army and they were worried
about my social interaction so they got me a placement working with the local
NCB forestry department, I have to admit I loved the job and studied hard for
my exams to be accepted into college, but it wasn’t to last (good things rarely
did) and budget cuts put paid to my ambitions, but as if by magic my musical
career took off, and again if you have read my previous drivel you will know
how that turned out.
When work would dry up I would come home
and do what was knocking around the doors sometimes cash in hand to keep below
the radar sometimes proper jobs to be actually be on the radar, ! did some
labouring bits and pieces and usually spent what I earnt (come on boys and
girls I wasn’t used to having money) travelling to see bands and generally
being a waster hahahaha, then I worked part time as an outdoor activities
instructor teaching map reading, skiing, canoeing and water skiing that kind of
thing but it was part time and although I loved it, it was never going to pay
my bills and then all of a sudden everything stopped.
So
I took a job as a cleaner I had a mortgage at this point so needs must, I
intended to stay a few weeks because I honestly thought that the legal log jam
that was affecting my music career wouldn’t last, how wrong could I be and it
was the death knell to my musical career so I stayed and I got married and the
chance to join the technical services team (me with my reputation) and then I
got divorced and the money was ok I could do whatever I really needed to, then
I got made semi skilled because I was doing the same work as the tradesmen, and
then I met my wife and it made sense as it was a readymade family unit and
overtime was a plenty, but it soon wasn’t perfect and just as I was starting to
look I got the offer to become an assistant supervisor and shortly after that
to become the actual supervisor I have always had a good work ethic, I must
have been doing something right because I was promoted over the self same
tradesmen who thought that they were so much better than me, but I soon again
had the dancing feet routine and again I
wanted to move on I felt I had gone as far as I could(oh how wrong was I on
that one) and just as I was about to hand my notice in when from totally out of
left field I was offered my current job to be the fire safety officer (again me
with my reputation) of a rather large shopping centre in the north of England
and if I’m honest it’s a job I love, I have done more education in the last 11
and a bit years than I thought I would ever have to, including a management
course, starting my fire diploma getting a teaching qualification (ME yes ME)
getting my advanced fire managers course, health and safety qualifications,
team leading qualifications, become a FETA qualified engineer and a member of
not one but two professional organisations (where the hell did I go wrong) it
hasn’t been easy and at times it has been very stressful and I know I am only
just starting out on this road and I will have to fight long and hard to keep
my footing this really is just the start if only I had been clever enough to
have a cunning plan when I was a tad younger, oh but for the grace god go I.
I do have to be careful that I don’t allow
work to overtake my life because if I wanted to I could stay there for far
longer than I should and that’s only good for the employer who pays my salary
and rarely gives me the lieu time that I should be claiming back (the curse of
the north east of England) but things are moving at such a fast pace sometimes
I don’t know how to balance the things that are so important to me, the wage is
good for what I do and has (hopefully) the chance to improve just a little but
let’s be honest how many people have worked in the same place for nearly 31
years and had a pay rise every single year not many I would wager. My work
ethic has to be honest what has got me through some very dodgy times since I
left her majesty’s armed forces and who knows what awaits ahead of me more work
for sure I doubt retirement is on the cards (unless I do win the lottery) one
foot in front of the other until it gets to the end of the road working to the
best of my ability for as long as I can possibly can, does that make me stupid?
probably but that is just the way I have been brought up there’s not a lot I
can do to change that I just wish I could leave some in the tank for when I get
home but that’s for another blog. Until the next time ……..Toodles!
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