the new job

I have been at my new (second) part-time job for just over a month now. I figured its time to blog about it. It didn't take long at all for me to feel like I fit in here. People here are friendly, easy-going, and they like to have a good time.

Don't get me wrong, we all get our work done, but the philosophy here is that we should have as much fun as possible while doing it. Throughout the day you can hear joking and laughter, and only occasionally do you hear anything “grumpy.”

Like all work places, the grumpiness comes when things go wrong, or when things are just a bit too busy. But that doesn't happen here too often (so far). Its not always easy to gage when things will get busy, because its a customer-driven environment. There are times of the day when the store-front has lots of customers and the phones are ringing off the hook. There are also times when its so quiet, no activity at all.

I like it here. The job itself is super easy. Some days I am actually downright bored, though I do my best to find things to do. But its not the work itself that I like most about being here. Its the people and the environment that has been created. Its far from a stuffy office, that's for sure. I am also sure that some people might get a bit offended in this environment because people here aren't always so politically correct, aren't always worried about hurting someone's feelings. This is not a bad thing. The people here are REAL, and HONEST. They act like they ARE - and they are good people.

I have worked in other places where the people always walked on eggshells because of the constant fear of being offensive, or the constant wondering how someone will “take” what they have said or done. It creates an uncomfortable, and at times, a hostile environment when people can't be real.

I like it here because these people remind me that we are all human, and it is okay to be human. We work together the best we can to get stuff done, to help each other, and quite frankly – to care. I have these experiences with my (first) part-time job in the greenhouses, and now I have it here. Its nice that I can fill 6 work days a week, and 1 day of rest, with honest natural behavior, and (as surprised as some people might be) – people like me!

I have said before, and this job only confirms it, that the issues that I had at my previous place of employment were not all about me. I am beginning to think more and more that they were much less about me than they were about others. This job is affirmation that I just didn't belong there, and I am glad that it didn't work out, and that I didn't try to “stick it out” because the hostility and bitterness I felt everyday as a result of how I was treated (perceived or real) is just not something I enjoy dealing with in my life.