Minimum wage job Experience....

I learned a lot from my minimum wage jobs in fast food, landscaping, painting, and construction.

I learned that manual labor is physically exhausting and painful. You feel it the next day, but you have to go in and work even more regardless of how you feel.

I learned that if you're holding a 5 gallon bag of liquid milkshake mix above your head, and the cap on the bag catches on something, don't try to jerk it free. Those caps aren't as tight as they look.

I learned that a lot of people have trouble doing basic things like showing up on time or at all, and that a lot of people are lazy.

I learned that paying taxes sucks.

I learned that a lot of people have had pretty terrible lives. I met people from other countries whose family members had been killed by war or criminals, forcing them to flee to a country where they knew nobody and didn't speak the language. I met a person from the US whose parents were alcoholics and couldn't get her to school regularly. For her, making assistant manager at the fast food place was a true accomplishment. She also bought me booze when I was underage, so that was cool.

I learned that some people are very disrespectful to those they consider inferior, and some people are just rude to everyone, even their own families.

I learned that some people who run businesses are desperate for good workers: I got two job offers from customers.

I learned that some organizations flagrantly break the law while others rigorously follow it.

Most of all, I learned that I never wanted to work for minimum wage again.

     -David Seidman