Thursday 13 April 2017

Sold my soul to the company store


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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