A Brief History of My Labor

Putting up hay - Library of Congress

At work, I often talk about other jobs I've had over the years. At some point, someone asked me to name every job I've ever had. So here goes.

Some of these I didn't get paid in cash for - sometimes it was work study for college, or a trade where my work was loaned out so my employer could get something in return.  I didn't include volunteer work -- EMT is not listed.

Some of these jobs I worked concurrently - for example, all through college I had at least three jobs at any one time. After graduation I was working for one newspaper and two radio stations at the same time. I only got paid for one of the radio gigs, my services for the other radio station was a "trade" for free advertising for the newspaper.

I started working at 12 years old in my mother's restaurant -- peeling potatoes and mixing waffle and pancake batter and bucking hay bales in the summer. Working every weekend for my mom probably kept me out of a lot of trouble growing up -- but it is also the reason I never got into hunting or fishing.

My dad always emphasized the importance of "gainful employment" when I was a kid. My family is full of workers - dad worked his way through college -- and is still working at 78. For years everyone in my family had at least a second job on the side.

So I've worked hard to have a job -- some sort of job -- ever since. The only year I've ever been without work was when I laid myself off from the top Tidepool job and went to nursing school full time.

Nursing school was worth it. Out of all these jobs, I've really only had union representation in the healthcare jobs of the last ten years. Not surprisingly, those are the jobs that have not only paid the best, but had the best benefits by a mile.

Here's my list in no particular order:

1. Hay loader
2. general farm labor (pulling fence posts, building fences, cattle droving)
3. dishwasher
4. bus boy
5. cook
6. restaurant night manager
7. zebra/llama (animal) feeder
8. radio station receptionist
9. radio DJ
10. radio news reporter
11. radio jingle creator
12. taco bender (Taco Time)
13. weatherization training manual writer
14. counseling psychology department receptionist
15. classified Adverrtising secretary
16. news reporter (crime, politics, education, science, environment)
17. columnist -- for several newspapers
18. newspaper photographer (in the days of film and darkrooms)
19. editorial editor
20. editor in chief Tidepool News Service
21. book reviewer
22. blogger (before the term was coined.)
23. radio pundit (politics and environment) 
24. delivery truck driver
25. Football gameday program distribution manager
26. Day in the Life educational program director
27. tractor and handyman for cherry orchard
28. cherry sorter / brine line 
29. night warden in adventure hostel - Ireland
30. rescue boat operator for windsurfing students - Ireland
31. boat salvage (Alaska)
32. salmon headbutcher  (Alaska) 
33. Crisis Prevention  and Intervention instructor
34. CPR instructor
35. apartment manager / maintenance 
36. internet help desk (Mac) 
37. CNA
38. Emergency Room Technician
39. Licensed Practical Nurse
40. Registered nurse - Charge, Oncology, Emergency room.