K: I have some familiarity with Safeway as I live in Northern California…
Kropotkin
Then You can imagine. Every time I pass that store near a great flower shop that is near it, where flowers, violets periodically scent the air, I think of that first job, & how hard it was to get that job right out of the navy, without havinga dd214 document in my possession.
Later, NY about 10 years, there was a supermarket strike by the unions, and I got rs-employed by same Safeway as a but her transee, sorrily the resolution of the contract ended my job as well. I mind of liked the constant cutting, except having to wear layers to protect against the cold.
I remember that strike. I worked at Safeway for 2 years. I was nominated for employee of the year actually … don’t know if I got it, I quit.
I calculated that a a box boy I saved the company over 1,000,000 dollars because I was such a hard worker that when I stepped on the floor, 3-4 people were taken off my shifts.
I remember one time the dairy manager literally cried, his name was Brian … I did such a beautiful job in dairy facing and stocking (at blazing speed) and he told me that if I kept doing that, I’d burn out.
He was right. But not for the reasons he thought.
I was the only employee at my store who had the permission to sprint… man did I ever sprint !!
8 hours a day!! I had the heart of a top marathon runner because of that job. People could never figure out when they always needed me, I’d always be there day in and day out - and that’s with 3-4 less employees on the floor.
When I think about that Safeway job, it was fucking insane. I held whole departments everyday… produce, deli, dairy, stocked bread, made displays, I counted cans, I bagged groceries, I took people out with their carts, I cleaned the bathrooms, it is was insane, than I learned a trick… when I was sprinting down an aisle, and you could feel the wind when I ran past you, when I saw a scuff on the floor… I learned how to twist my ankle while sprinting to take the scuff off.
It was fucking insane what I did there.
Coincidence or what? And correction
During union strike was hired as butcher trainee it was a sorry thing that the contract was resolved and had to look for another job.
Did La Marathon 5 times with my kids back in the late eighties, early 90’s time was pretty mediocre but finished every time almost loosing a toe fir wearing wrong sneakers.
The Safeway job I was hired in they kind if liked me but the box boy job I liked mire because I got some tips plus the butchering job kept me in a very cold place, but I did better them some coming from Minneapolis right out of the navy.
The reason I know I had the heart of a marathon runner because of this job, is that my first psychiatric evaluation at UCLA medical center, part of it was running on a treadmill for 5 minutes, then they took my resting heart rate… it was 50 beats a minute.
I’ll never forget the look on that woman’s face.
I’ve always been a hard worker.
My promotions are not earthly anymore, they’re spiritual. And I work just as damn hard as I did at that job.
I was accused of having a good heart as well.
I will accuse you again…because I believe you have a good heart.
Good spiritual hearts…
Interesting concept.
I’m a feeble man now at 44 years. A fucking 100 year old can kick my ass.
But my heart is changing existence… all of it.
It’s peaceful here in the eye of the storm
That’s nice Meno.
I’ll tell you another Safeway confession.
I feel bad about being such a good worker. People lost money because I worked so hard. It’s not my fault. It’s Safeway’s fault. But I still feel bad about it. Like I said… when I stepped on the floor 3-4 people were taken off their shifts. Those people needed that money.
I’m not proud of Safeway for that (even though they’re owned by Kroger’s now!). They ripped everyone off. Not cool.
If I had it to do over again, knowing what I know now… I wouldn’t have worked so hard.
I feel sorry about that, but it is what it is, we’re all dealt cards that we must work with, or, with - out or in.
I just edited, and you can look up:
If I had it to do all over again, knowing what I know now… I wouldn’t have worked so hard. Sometimes you get an idea of impressing people… and I dazzled people. But at what cost? I’d rather have seen more people get paid than dazzled everyone.
You’re right Ec, but razzle dazzle is so Hollyweird here, and one gets used to the lingo and initially get caught up in it, but the consensus becomes after a while a shared attempt at an expected sales pitch
Speaking of lingo, I request your help.
Before travail in Hawaii. Re: 2 cents into chock-full. Or after - I can hang off of a tall cliff for a while.
E_D,
You know where 2 cents comes from?
It’s the cost of a bullet in WW2
What the phrase really means is that my life depends upon it.
OMG - that is kind of spooky Ec. Given what I said(tall cliff).
ED I already went through that with You re: Kerouac: you can’t fall off a mountain,.
(Even if your life depended on it)
You lying bludger!
Zookers!
Nice to see that you’ve given in to your condition and let it completely consume you and erode what’s left of the rest of your life away…