Last Day At A Job...

Last night my daughter left a job. I picked her up after her last shift and we drove home listening and singing to songs on the radio and pretty much behaving the same way we have all the other times I picked her up and drove her home.

My daughter is still a teenager. I remember, as a teenager, I changed jobs often. I suppose that's the nature of things. Because of other jobs and responsibilities, my daughter could no longer keep her job at Quirky Games. If you're in Kaysville, it's right next to the Kaysville Theatre. You should check it out--great store with lots of personality.

As we drove home I asked how she felt closing and locking up for the last time. She says she'll miss it. It wasn't the most physically demanding job--the job she's going to now will ask much more of her. She is going from a job that sells games to one that sells shows--both have the goal of entertaining people. 

Her leaving makes me think about what I do for my job. I've worked for the same organization for over twenty years, albeit doing different things. I can't imagine leaving my job. I am not in a financial situation where I can just quit--very few people are. I could get another job, of course. With time invested, I'd have to weigh what I'm leaving behind vs. what advantages there are by making such a drastic change. When I was younger, I had very little invested--almost nothing in those jobs.

I've worked several part-time jobs in the past twenty years, most have been for fun or to be creative, or to try something new. None of them offered the opportunity to quit my "day job" though. We read about people who just up and quit whatever they were doing to either pursue their dream or just do something--anything--else. I'm not there. I don't know if I'll ever be there. My daughter left a job for another job, and when that's done she'll leave that one as well. These opportunities are not her ideal or what she expects to do. It is, however, important to gain knowledge and experience when you're young to help you in the future...

...You know, so when you're at a job for over two decades, you'll better understand why you're there.