getting hired at the village

 About this time in 1973 (June 7) I was graduating from high school, 49 years ago.  Seems like yesterday.  

how can 49 years pass so quickly ?

But that summer I was still 17.  I got a part time summer job as a janitor at a local restaurant.  My first real job.  Perhaps previewing the future of employment in general I didn't work for the restaurant itself but for a janitorial service.  And I earned $1.65 an hour.  It didn't end well (the restaurant guy didn't like the job I did and the janitorial service was sometimes late with my pay).

But the next summer I was 18.  Some friends told me about a full time summer job (you had to be at least 18) at the village where we lived, $2 an hour and they didn't take out for social security or any taxes so we got the whole $2 (this is why I have a 3 year gap in my social security earnings :)  I went with my friends to the village hall where we had a brief audience with the village manager.  He was formerly the village engineer and had done a good job providing the village services and also setting up infrastructure like water, sewer, roads and drainage.

He didn't really interview us, just told us a little about what we'd do, that we'd have to wear steel toed shoes and then he ended with:  "Just make it look good"  Which I took to mean:  hey you don't have to work that hard but don't let the civilians notice you.  And at times, we didn't even do that (make it look good).

We'd get our assignments in the morning from the foreman.  Usually I'd be working on the back of a garbage truck on Mondays and Fridays (when we picked up yard waste).  The rest of the week I'd usually be on the wood chipper following the guys on the bucket truck as they cut down elm trees.

Did that for three summers during college, it was mostly fun, drove down every single road in the village, heard a LOT of cursing, drank some beer, looked at dirty magazines (they were under the seat of every vehicle).  I'm glad I wore hearing protectors on the chipper but wish I had used sun screen (but it probably would have been sweated off anyway).

But definitely the worst pep talk I've ever heard: just make it look good.

Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm