Ah, first jobs. You might have babysat three screaming children, steamed designer clothing or blended McFlurries for $6 an hour. First jobs are far from glamourous for most people, but they offer more money than the tooth fairy ever gave you (usually). They also make up who we are today and are part of our journey to where we are now.
Abby spills about her first job flipping hamburgers and scooping ice cream.
I loved my first job. I had moved to a small town (Blenheim, Ontario) at the beginning of Grade 9, which is the worst time to move. I didn’t know many people at first, and one day, decided to apply for a job at the local burger joint.
The Blenheim Bobcats were serious.
It’s called Homerun Hamburgers and everyone worked there. It was small, but had the best burgers in town, along with breakfast, milkshakes made from real ice cream, flurries and soft serve dipped in chocolate.
A common sight at my first gig.
It was right across from the town high school, which meant that it was constantly filled with students, even on the weekend. My coworkers were all my age, and we spent our days trying to look cute in our maroon T-shirts and visors (ew!) in case our crushes came in.
Summer was the best and the worst time to be there. It was always slammed, with line-ups out the door and I’d end my shifts with ice cream literally up to my elbows. And, smelling like smoke, since restaurants weren’t smoke-free yet. But that’s when our friends could come visit us and we’d slip them burgers and fries for free.
This could have been yours FREE… if you lived in Blenheim.
Best moment: I remember my first huge crush came in unexpectedly one day, someone I hadn’t seen for months because he lived out of town. I saw him, my heart started pounding through my chest, and I am sure that I turned bright red. I ran to the back room to whip off my ugly visor and check to make sure my hair wasn’t a total disaster. I think I might have talked to him for about three minutes, but it seemed like an eternity since I was in a total daze.
I left Homerun after a year or two for the grease-free, 9-to-5 hours of IDA Pharmacy, but I will always remember that job as one of the most fun gigs I’ve ever had.
RIB 2 