Get a Job

The countdown to summer vacation has begun.

For this mom, I'm looking forward to not having to set the alarm so early every. single. day.  Just give me sleep.  (Ironic since I'm writing this at 4 am!?!)

Our teens are antsy and ready for a break, but not for the lazy days you might imagine.  They remember from last summer how very quickly the fun-ness wears off and boredom sinks in.

Which is why for several weeks they've discussed getting jobs.

Noah is 15 and looks like he's 20.  Tina is 16 and can pass for 12.  This can be rather humorous when walking in for an application.

Yesterday was filled with laughs for this and so many other side-splitting moments.

On my way home, an hour earlier than expected, I called the kids to say if they were dressed and ready we could drop off one of the applications they'd completed.  The applications that had been sitting on the counter for a few weeks.  (They originally thought mom and dad were just supposed to deliver for them, as if we were a personal courier service.)

Yes, this job hunting has given us many life lesson opportunities.

But on this afternoon, there was an extra hour and mom felt generous to gift it to the kids.  So, after a pep talk reminder of dressing nice, as I know how they can strip down and become sloppy the moment they walk in the door, I arrived with a honk in the driveway.

Out stepped two professional looking kiddos.  Of course Tina often looks like she stepped off a runway, with little effort on her part.  But my "why can't I wear I this cut-off and camo hat as a uniform" boy stood in front of my car as a sharp dressed man.

I bragged on them both as they eased into the car.  Putting it in reverse, I said, "You do have the applications, right?"

They both looked at each other and we all started laughing.  Well....at least they looked good!

Living in a small town, there aren't a ton of options, but we drove up and down our busy strip for potential candidates.  Not that they're picky but both have preferences in what they would like for their first job.  Tina prefers not to do fast food because of the pace.  Being 15 limits Noah even more.

He had no trouble securing applications, but once outside he'd scan the paper and moan, "You must be 18 to apply!"  After awhile he started calling some on the strip to save mom the Frogger-darting back and forth across the street, during what is rush hour for our sleepy town.

Tina decided she'd try her hand at waitressing and we stopped at our only Chinese restaurant.  The majority inside speak limited English, so I was interested to hear how it went.  She was in there longer than the hand-and-go for most of our stops, so it seemed promising.  When she came out laughing and stopped by my window, we learned why.

"I'm not sure what just happened or what I agreed to," she said.

We do know she filled out a post-it note.  She's also pretty sure one of the interview questions was, "You scared of sidewalks?"  So, we're not holding our breath on a call back.

Noah's most promising stop was also funny.  He too remained in there long enough to feel hopeful.  But he returned with a partially completed application.  Asking him why he explained that the lady said they did have openings and he could fill one out at the table.  Excited he sat down but then quickly realized he wasn't 100% sure how to complete all the questions.  So he politely escaped with a promise to return.  Mom was happy to help him fill in the blanks on the side of the road.

As he returned to the car from his second trip inside, he gave a sigh of relief and said, "Whew.  I'm ready to get back to my natural habitat," and nodded to the back seat.  Glancing back, I spy his tattered t-shirt and shorts.

Did he intend to change in the car?  We live a mere 5 minutes from everywhere he applied!

Who knows what is on the horizon for these teens this summer.  One thing is for sure, there will be funny stories and lots of laughs from their experiences.