The Life of Bon: Throwback Thursdays: First Job

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Throwback Thursdays: First Job


A SUMMER OF THROWBACK THURSDAYS
BLOG STYLE


Here's how it works:

1.  Every Thursday through August we'll be throwing it back here at thelifeofbon.com.  We want to see pictures of course, but we want the stories that go behind those pictures even more!  And because I'm a total control freak, I've even mapped out a nice little schedule for all of us.  I figure the prompts will make it easier to come up with something to write about every week.

TH  6/13  A memory of learning to drive, your first car or the early driving days.
TH  6/20  Elementary school crush
TH  6/27  Throwback birthday
TH  7/4   Throwback fourth of July
TH  7/11  First job
TH  7/18  Moving away from home
TH  7/25  Memory of one or both of your parents from childhood
TH  8/1   Favorite summer vacation
TH  8/8   Childhood friends
TH  8/15  First kiss
TH  8/22  Memory of a high school teacher or high school class
TH  8/29  Back to school memory

2.  Follow www.thelifeofbon.com, slap that little button somewhere on your post, and link up your Throwback Thursday posts!  I'm so excited to read everybody's stories.

3.  Visit new blogs and make new blog friends.  No duh!


TODAY'S TOPIC:  FIRST JOB


My first job was working for my old man in his podiatry office.  For those of you who aren't well versed in the world of medicine, that's a foot doctor.  Growing up I often got asked why in the world anyone would want to be a foot doctor.  The jury's still out on that, people, but it's what my dad chose for a profession and at the ripe old age of 14 I got recruited to come assist in his office.  It was my summer job- I would go in every day for 1-5 and help file, clean up rooms, take patients back, help answer the phone, etc.  You know, rip roaring fun for a 14 year old.

Fourteen year old Bon.  I had yet to discover the miracle of teeth whitener and push up bras.

While it certainly wasn't the most exciting job, I'm so grateful that I worked in my dad's office because I got to see my dad in his work environment and spend more time with him.  I remember him showing me all the different tools, what they did, the different types of medicine.  My dad was loved so much by his patients.  It is weird as a teenager to go from seeing your dad as some old dad who doesn't have a clue to a well respected and liked man by almost everyone who comes in to his office.

I worked in my dad's office every summer until I graduated.  I think part of the reason why I was so close to my dad was because I had this extra time with him.  The summer I turned 16 I started going to Emery- about an hour drive- every Tuesday to help him in his clinic there.  That's the summer he taught me to drive a shift and I remember our talks on the way to and from the clinic- just the two of us.

I've got some real gems from my journal about working in my dad's office- some that are just hilarious and some that show the sweet experience it was to work with my pop:

June 7, 2000
Working in dad's office has its ups and downs.  I feel like I do everything wrong and Teresa (the office manager) is growing impatient with me.  It seems like everything is my fault, "Bonnie, what'd you do to the copy machine?  "Where'd you put Mary Mortenson's file?"  You know what I mean?  I suppose I'll get used to the way the office works, but for now I am very unsure of myself.

August 9, 2000
Today I was straightening up a room in the office and dad came in and said, "Do you want a dollar?" and I, thinking he wanted me to do him a favor said, "Why?" and he says, "Cuz I like you!"  Then he gave me one of those new dollar gold coins.  It made me feel so special!  I love my dad so much!  He always makes me feel so good inside!

May 31, 2001
Yesterday I worked 1-6 in the office.  My first day with patients with summer.  It was sooooo busy!  We were more than an hour behind!  It was a pretty good day at the office.  Mom and Mary were in Provo so dad and I went to Sherald's burger bar for dinner.  It was kind of fun.  I got a BLT, fries, fresh lime and an ice cream cone.  I love eating with dad because he lets me get anything I want!

July 29, 2001
Friday I had to work again.  I had SO much to do there!  Dictations, charts, statements, and cleaning.  I barely got done by 5:00 and I didn't even get Monday's charts pulled!

August 12, 2001
Today I have been so ornery.  I don't even know why.  When I was cleaning the room dad said to me, "Bonnie, you don't smile much anymore.  Are you happy?"  I didn't really know what to say.  I think today has just been a bad day for me.  Also, summer has been hard.  I'm the only one of friends who has a job, and it is hard always working.

August 21, 2001
Yesterday Teresa was sick so I worked 8:30-5:30 with only a 20 minute break for lunch.  I thought I was going to shoot myself.

June 10, 2002
Summer as a whole has been awesome so far.  I work in the mornings on Monday and Wednesday, the afternoons on Tuesday and Thursday, and not at all Fridays. I love this arrangement.  It's enough hours that I still get the money I want but I'm not always working.  I work some mornings so I have some afternoons to play.  Tuesdays I am going to go to Emery with dad to help him starting tomorrow.  I asked for a raise last week (I get paid $6 an hour) and mom and dad practically laughed in my face saying I got plenty of money for what I did.  It was embarrassing, insulting, and aggravating.

June 12, 2002
Yesterday I went to Emery with dad.  He was very busy and there were like 10 other doctors in the same building which made it so confusing.  I was very tired after we were done but decided to drive home because I need lots of practice on the stick shift car.  Ugh.  I almost got in two different wrecks.  It was so embarrassing and frustrating.  I am a terrible driver and driving the stick shift is even worse.

June 19, 2002
I love my dad to death.  I like working in the office with him (when he's not ornery) and kissing him goodbye.  Dad has been teaching me to drive a stick, and boy, does he have to be patient with me.  Dad's a little goody and nerdy sometimes, but he is tons of fun to work with!

June 25, 2002
Emery was good with dad today.  We were extremely busy and didn't get home until about 7:00.  Dad is really cool.  He can tell just what I'm thinking.  On our way there he asked if I liked Keenan [the boy I had a crush on at the time].  The craziest thing is I don't care at all when he knows who I like.  I just nodded my head.

Quite the gems, huh folks?  These posts always take me longer than any post of the week I do because I end up looking at so many old pictures and reading through old journals.  The experience has helped me revisit my past and has made me so grateful for those experiences.  The weird thing about life is sometimes we don't realize how great it is until we are past it.  I hope all of you will link up and take a stroll down memory lane- it really is amazing to revisit those old memories.

Link, link, link away!

17 comments:

  1. That photo of you is adorable! I love that you started working at a young age- I feel like it prepares you for the real world and it's so satisfying knowing you worked for your own money! I wish I kept a journal of my first job waitressing- that would've been funny!

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  2. Aw! What a cute picture!

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  3. Haha I love your usage of the word 'ornery'.

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  4. I also appreciated your use of 'ornery,' but overall, the fact that you had a journal to refer back to really makes the post fun! I know many of mine said cray things, but I think I got embarrassed and threw them out.

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  5. Man! My 14 year old self wishes I had looked like you at that age! I was for sure an awkward one. :) I'm loving the journal!

    -Amanda | Living in Another Language

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  6. This is a great!

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  7. Aug 21, 2001: my exact day. EVERY SINGLE DAY OF MY LIFE.
    Also it made me LLOL, so there's that.

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  8. Sorry Bon I feel like I'm being silly, but where's the linky thing? It's not showing up! I'll try again later.

    By the way, this is by far my fav link series we've ever done! So much fun to reminisce and to see what others write! Will be sad when its over! Lx

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  9. I love it! My first job was working for my parents too, its such a good experience.

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  10. This is so sweet! I love seeing how you have so much love, respect and affection for your dad - so incredibly sweet! I too worked for my dad for my first job...he had a side business that drilled water wells. It drove me crazy at the time, but now I so very much cherish that time with him. ...it's probably a very good thing I didn't journal my thoughts at that time in life...

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  11. Anonymous9:19 AM

    I loved that moment when I realized that it was okay to talk about boys with my dad. It's awesome that you have these entries.

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  12. Thanks for tweeting at me!

    It's so great that you have all these journals and photos. Having photos to remember is so important.

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  13. Heeheehee $6 an hour. :D I like that you were gutsy enough to ask, though! I wouldn't have been at that age!

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  14. I loved reading the entries. So fun. One of my favorite things is to read my old journals, always give me a good laugh

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  15. Lovely post! What kind of tooth whitener do you use? I would like to try one.

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  16. Oh, I LOVE that story and that picture of you at 14 is absolutely adorable! Thanks for all the Throwback Thursday ideas. So much fun!

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  17. Aww 14 year old you is super adorable

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