I’m back in the workforce for a week now. Admittedly,
adjusting to working as many as 10 hours a day is tough, but getting up isn’t
nearly as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, having a schedule by which to
go is something I like…sort of.
This job is a perfect fit for me because I don’t have to
think; instead, my duties are to drive a vehicle from Point A to Point B. My
skill set includes the ability to do that. Some of the time is spent riding in
a van with other co-workers as we travel to pick up cars or return to our home
base. It’s in that van that I’ve realized and learned many things.
First of all, this is an elite group of shuttle drivers, and
certain characteristics are common in us all. I’m the newest worker, a rookie,
and I’m also the youngest of the bunch. Someone said one employee was in his
80’s, although I can’t confirm that. I’ve heard the guys talking about high
school during the early 1960’s, and that puts them at least several years ahead
of me. Every individual, male and female, that I’ve met so far either has
completely gray or white hair or is follicly challenged.
One man informed me that our crew has been dubbed the “Ol
Farts.” It’s an appropriate moniker for several reasons. All of us wear
glasses; we all have at least a bit of a hitch in our giddy-ups; and we
sometimes struggle to get out of the lower-sitting cars. We drink plenty of
coffee and carry snacks in our shirt pockets in case pangs of hunger hit.
The guys are big on pecking order. Some sit in the front
seats of the van, and others file in according to seniority. That, of course,
means I’m stuck in the back of a 12-passenger van and take the full brunt of
the potholes and dips of the road to my back.
The guys talk in friendly conversations throughout the day.
In fact, two or more of them can occur at one time, and to someone not
involved, it sounds a great deal like a bunch of racket. Still, the guys can
carry on conversations about any topic. I heard comments on such things as UT
women’s basketball, healthcare, local politicians, the president, and the
economy. However, most intense conversation concerned today’s youth.
The guys talked about how their children texted all the time
and wanted them to do the same. Some of the men said their phones didn’t have
that capability, and others commented that the buttons were too small to push.
Others lamented the fact that children would rather text than talk, something
over which they shook their heads and sighed. Some marveled at how savvy their
young grandchildren mastered the use of smart phones without any fear of
breaking one or irreversibly damaging it.
My co-workers have come from many different places and
professions. A couple of things stand out about them. First, they are not
afraid of work. The men come in at 8:00 a.m. and are ready to work. They take
on assignments, complete them, and move on to the next ones. A driver told me
that young people were hired at some point in the past, but they were all gone
now. He indicated that they left because they didn’t want to work or they
didn’t want a part-time job.
These guys also say exactly what they think. I suppose age
does that to all of us, or maybe it’s the result of a lifetime’s worth of
experiences. Whatever the cause, guys like us don’t have filters through which
we send our thoughts. They just come out. Sometimes our words sound harsh, but
that’s rarely our intent; it’s just that we say what we think and leave the
nuances for others to add or subtract to our comments. No offense is
intended…unless we make it clear that we are in offending moods.
I’m thankful to have been hired for this new job. The income
from it helps us. As much as anything, I’m thankful to meet new people who are
interesting, intelligent, and funny. My part-time job has few dull moments, and
the new job training continues.
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