Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
As the seconds went by, I witnessed the most patient woman on earth do her job.
Saint? you ask.
Teacher? you wonder.
Nurse? you query.
No.
She was the person behind the prize counter at the arcade. Yes, this most patient of souls was waiting on a child clutching his precious receipt of 44 points, agonizing over whether to spend 2 points on a Laffy Taffy or a cat sticker.
“That leaves 42 points,” she said, finally handing over the cat sticker, one hand clutching the calculator she used to determine that 42 points remained. And she smiled, too.
If I had to do that job, I would rip my hair out. Seriously. “JUST PICK SOMETHING!” I would probably scream before I was fired.
This experience made me think of other jobs I could never do. Jobs like:
- Middle school teacher. Too many hormones and helicopter parents.
- Chuck E. Cheese employee. Enough said.
- Garbage collector. I think I would be exhausted and cranky after, oh, 30 minutes at this job.
- Daycare teacher in the toddler room: diapers, tantrums, and low pay. Oh wait! I did this job for 2 years. I’ll tell you about it sometime…
- Shoe salesperson. Too many feet, attitudes, and trips back and forth to the mysterious back room.
- Deodorant sniffer. Someone has to determine whether that deodorant really lasts 24 hours. Just not me.
- Clown. NO.
- Crab fisher. I’ve seen Deadliest Catch. I have no desire to be freezing wet and in fear of my life all day on a boat.
- Carnival worker. On the surface, I don’t think this would be so bad, loading people on and off rides that make them happy. But it must be horrendous because I have NEVER seen a happy carnival worker.
- Construction worker. You wanna know why? Because I’d have to use a Port-o-Potty all day, every day. Eww.
Now you know the jobs I could never do. I could probably go on: telemarketer, fruit picker, any job at Comcast, etc. What about you? Are you a patient saint who could work at the prize counter at the arcade? Is there any place where you could never work?
My daughter used to work at a Play Place called Going Bonkers. (properly named!) She was the gal behind the prize counter. Huge kudos to her for doing it for over three years. I wouldn’t have made it three days.
Terra Heck recently posted…After A While Crocodile: Alexa’s Diary – Children’s Book Review and Giveaway
Thank you for your daughter’s service to her fellow mankind!! I think teens and young adults are probably the best people for that job. The older I get (and further from childhood!), the crankier/less patient I get.
I’m with you on all of these! I also watch Deadliest Catch and I’m like, “I’d so be flying off that boat.”
And clowns terrify me.
Amber Myers recently posted…Is My Son Missing Out On A True High School Experience?
I’m picturing us getting our legs caught in those ropes now and being yanked overboard. Yikes.
Katy @ Experienced Bad Mom recently posted…10 Jobs I Could Never Do
I just could not face a Port – o – Potty. Nope, No, Never….
One Messy Mama recently posted…CozyPhones – Review
I know! And every day.
Katy @ Experienced Bad Mom recently posted…10 Jobs I Could Never Do
Ha! These are mostly jobs I’m in no way interested in doing either. And I think carnival workers are bored and probably a little annoyed at saying the same things all day, ever day, plus dealing with the noise of it all and the people. Or at least, that’s my take on it I also wouldn’t be very good at anything having to do with caring for children all day. I mean, it just seems to superficial sometimes. But, the noise is mostly what would bother me – only because that (and the messes) is what bothers me about my own children on a daily basis. :shurgs: 🙂
Kendall recently posted…Traveling My Past Led Me to My Voice
When I worked as a daycare teacher, it was great preparation for becoming a mom. But I soon realized after becoming a mom there’s a huge difference: when I taught, I got to go home at the end of the day. When I’m a mother, there is NO end of the day!!
Katy @ Experienced Bad Mom recently posted…10 Jobs I Could Never Do
Great list here! I agree with so many of them! I won’t def be a clown. Well, I have been a teacher for over 5 years and I survived. Or maybe is it why I go pregnant? LOL #happynowlinkup
Who are these people who want to be clowns? Heck, who LIKE clowns? 🙂
I did infant and toddler care for years. But I don’t think I could do it again. I have a 4 year old and a 5 month old. I don’t want to deal with even more small children, even after mine are out of that stage. I’m over it. lol. I actually don’t really mind port-a-potties. My husband does lumberjack competitions so we spend our summers and falls on the fair circuit. You get used to them. My dad was a carpenter most of my life so I don’t mind the smaller re-models and such but full on construction? Too much manual labor for me, thanks. 😉 (visiting from Happy Now)
I’m impressed that you married a quasi-lumberjack and that you are acclimated to port-a-potty use! I just cringe. And I have to use them enough, you know? At races or certain parks, events, etc.
lol. No quasi about it. When he isn’t doing his hobby, he is actually in the tree care business and is a 6th generation logger. I actually potty trained my preschooler using port-a-potties. Just part of life for us. One of the best tricks is to squirt some hand sanitizer on some toilet paper then rub the seat down. But I will admit. I love it when we are the first ones to the field in the morning and I get to be the first to use it. lol
Julie @ Logger’s Wife recently posted…When Ends Don’t Meet- Asking for Financial Help
I cannot even handle when my kids have to pick out. We have hundreds of unused tokens et. all, because I cannot handle any of it. Maybe someday we will turn t in for the big electric guitar on the wall 🙂
Jen recently posted…The Happy Now Blog Link- Up #27
Wow! You must have a gazillion tokens to be thinking about the “big” prize behind the counter. 🙂
I taught preschool for five years. I had the four-year-old class, but I did my time with the toddlers when it was needed. That’s such a fun place to be…until it isn’t!!
I could never work on a submarine. Once I toured a submarine with my brother and his kids. After being in the sub for less than two minutes my claustrophobia caused me to run out nearly knocking over my nephews (ages 5 and 8) in the process. I could also never work at Disney World because I’ve seen way too much bad behavior on the part of guests there. I’d struggle to maintain my smile in the face of rude, self-important, entitled-acting morons.
Mo recently posted…Why Wine Vintage Matters For All Wine Drinkers
I think I’m mercifully too tall to ever be assigned to work on a submarine, you know, should I ever be drafted in my advance age. 🙂
Oh my, my, my. I am with you on all of these, Katy. Couldn’t do a one of them. I would also add “swim coach.” Yes, unlike a soccer coach, you get paid to be a swim coach. However, you also have to deal with hormones and helicopter parents. The behaviour I’ve seen from both, no mostly the parents, over the years towards the coaches has been beyond the pale. You could NOT pay me to do that job.
Kelly L McKenzie recently posted…Hanging Out With The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
My husband is my son’s hockey coach. Head coach. It is fascinating. For the most part, he does okay with the parents but there are some crazy ones out there! I couldn’t and wouldn’t do it.
Yes to every single one of these! I was never one of those kids who dreamed of becoming a teacher. I always said I didn’t have the patience for it. And daycare teachers really are a special kind of person. They deserve so much more than they get.
I was a telemarketer once upon a time. Please don’t hate me…I already hate myself enough for it.
Leslie recently posted…The 7 Most Useful Things I Learned in School
Oh, I know what it is to have to work for a living. I can’t judge you and your telemarketer past! 🙂