Jobs I've Had

There just hasn't been much to write about lately so I will regale you with the various jobs I've had over the years. I got the idea to do this from another blog so blame them. Here we go!

Stock Boy at Winn Dixie - This was the first job I ever had and I was fired after 2 weeks. Why? I don't know but the managers nephew was working there the next day. Go figure. I hated it anyway.

Print Studio Assistant - While I was at the Memphis College of Art I did a work/study by assisting in the printmaking studio. I manned the studio a couple of nights a week and I also assisted during the basic printmaking class. Most nights there wasn't much to do. The students at that college had a non-existent work ethic. I showed up the first day of class with all my stuff ready to work. They all told me, "We don't do anything on the first day." I said, "I do." Needless to say I wasn't very popular. The printmaking teacher hated me. I got called into the office once for having a bad attitude. (can they do that in college?) I left after the first semester.

Screen Printer - Perfect job for an artist, right? Wrong! The boss was a nice guy but not a good businessman. That place nearly went under about twice a week. I'll never forget the time we were there all night printing thousands of shirts for Hooters on one manual press. Ahhh! I can't believe I worked there for 2 years. I heard he sold the place after I left.

Performer - While at seminary I performed with The Company, a touring drama team. During the year it was only for school credit but during the summer it was paid. After graduation I spent a year with Face to Face, a touring drama team based out of Birmingham, AL.

Minister of Youth - My first church staff job out of seminary I was lucky enough to land a great gig working with a super pastor. Unfortunately the honeymoon ended quickly. The pastor (a wonderful guy!) lost his wife and remarried a woman who was divorced (because her husband was a pastor and cheated on her with his secretary). The church had a conniption about that and he eventually left. After he left they started picking on me so I got the hell out of dodge. Too bad. It was a nice church with a lot of potential. Too bad they let a few bad apples run the joint.

Minster of Arts and Worship - I joined up with this new church start and morphed into the job over a bit of time. It was fun for a while but turned sour toward the end. I was "let go" and my ministry days were over. There's just too much shit you have to put up with when you work for a church.

Manager of Shipping/Receiving - I did this job in Asheville just before moving to Seattle. Sarah and I both landed jobs at A. C. Moore, a craft store on the east coast that I wish we had out here. We worked with a bunch of really cool people. The pay was crap with no benefits but it was fun while it lasted. I hear the company changed hands and now it's not so fun to work there. Alot of folks we knew left.

Custodian - I've done this job alot. I first started doing it at my home church in Pensacola. It was a good flexible job to have and go to college at the same time. The bad part of that job was seeing behind the scenes at church. I saw some ugly stuff.
I did a short gig at a security place in Tallahassee. I used to have to drive out into the country and cut the owner's (a past president of FSU) grass with a tractor. I hated it.
While at seminary I also did the custodian thing. Great low stress job for a stressful place. I worked with some cool guys there. We used to play cards everyday on break. One summer we had a paper plane flying contest in the Williamsburg Room. We were pretty irreverent.
Presently I am a custodian at Taproot Theatre. I am pretty much left alone to do my job which I do wired up to my iPod. The pay and benefits are awesome for a part-time gig and I have time to work on my art when I get home.

That's all I can think of right now. Hopefully I'll think of something brilliant to write about over the next few days so we can dispatch this kind of crap for good.