X-Ray Technician, X-tra in Movies, or just X ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

               X is the annoyance of any A to Z--or a time for creativity.  How to avoid the usual cliches of X?  Don't worry and just dive in.  

        X-ray technician or whatever seems like the natural place to go.  I've been x-rayed plenty of times in my life and operating a machine of this function seems like something I could do.  But I don't want to.  

        Considering where I live (Los Angeles area), being a movie-X-tra could be a real possibility for me. One of my daughters did it for a while and she seemed to have enjoyed doing it.  Since I worked in 1968 as a movie extra in a film shot in East Tennessee, I know a bit about doing this and it would be okay.

        Or I could just be "X"--another somewhat anonymous component of the urban sprawl in which I live. We all are statistics in one way or another.  Boxes checked to tell the Big Brain what we are, who we are, and where we are.  We all are X's in some kind of grid of information or designation.  And that's me: Mr. X from City X on Planet X.  That's me.

          What X jobs did I miss?   Do you feel like an "X" sometimes?   Are you a fan of statistics?   

Weeder, Warehouse Worker, Writer, Walker ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

        Weeder is not in my wheelhouse.  Been there and don't want to do it anymore.  At least not on any grand scale like I used to do for a while during my summer work interims between college quarters.  For a couple of summers I worked on a construction yard with a couple of other college guys picking up money during summer vacation.  Weeding was hot tiring work, but there were those times when it wasn't all that bad thanks to the banter among us college boys.  Then there were the times where I was left to my own thoughts as I hacked down those weeds with my scythe.  A tractor would have been better, but the company had us to do the work manually so there we were.  It was okay for a couple of summers in my youth, but not something I would have wanted to do for long.

      Warehouse worker became more my thing after a couple of weedy summers.  I found a summer job at a carnival supply warehouse in Knoxville TN and stayed on with them for a few years. It was great for me since the peak working period was during the summer months when I was off from school.  The rest of the year I would just come in when I could and the company was okay with that.  They liked me and I was a good worker for them.  I was hired on as an Assistant Manager (because I was in college), but I did plenty of hard work like loading and unloading trucks and stacking the incoming merchandise.  I came to love warehouses during those years and would come back to that scenario in a costume and Halloween supply company in my final working years before our warehouse closed and I was pushed into retirement.

        The thing that drew me to blogging after that retirement was my love of writing.  Since middle school I had begun dreaming of being a writer.  Over the years I've plied my writing skills mainly for my own amusement, but having a blog somehow gave my writing a place to be put on display for anyone to read.  Someday I'd like to go beyond my blog and actually publish something of substance. I love to write, but I think I would like it even more if I were paid to do it.  However that's on me.  I need to amp up my ambitions and do some serious writing.

        Or I could do some walking.  Years ago I started dreaming of walking across America and maybe beyond.  I actually started to do it a couple of times, but then I found an excuse to go back home to comfort.  I like to walk, but I also like being home.  Maybe I'll just be a walker who walks around my neighborhood or my house.  That seems like enough walking for me at my age.  But who knows--the dream of walking a long distance still remains in the back of my mind.  That's where that dream will likely stay.

       Do like the environment of a warehouse?   How is your writing career going?   What is the longest distance you've walked?  

Van Driver, Visitor Services, Videographer, Violinist (#AtoZChallenge)

 

             Van driver might be an appropriate job label for me these days since I have a van that I frequently use to transport my wife and I and other family members around.  In fact, the first vehicle I ever owned was a van and I've owned one ever since.  I've logged many miles in my vans so I think I could qualify as a professional van driver.  And when I worked for the airport shuttle service in Knoxville TN I was usually driving a van filled with paying passengers.  That is professional van driving for sure.

       We don't get many visitors at our house, but when we do I try to show them a good time.  I might be good at visitor services.  Maybe I could work at a hotel, tourist office, or some other location where travelers were seeking information and help getting around.  One in that position would probably meet some interesting people, though I'd rather be the one doing the visiting.

        My oldest daughter works as a videographer on occasion.  I suppose I might have influenced her since I used to take a lot of videos of the family.  Doing video work might be a lot of fun and very interesting depending on what type of video I was shooting.  I'd need some better video equipment if I were going to seriously pursue the career of a videographer.  I guess I'd need to work another job to make the money to buy the equipment.  Or maybe I could just not be a videographer.

        Violinist has been a big part of my identity since I was a child.  My playing ability has never achieved any high level of skill, but I've managed to use this job persona to make a living to a certain degree. I will never be mistaken for a virtuoso, but I can honestly say that I've worked as a violinist.

      Are there any talents that you acquired in childhood that have helped you earn a living in your adult life?   Do you enjoy taking home movies or videos?  What was your first vehicle?

Underground Worker, Upholsterer, Undertaker, U.S. Government Worker ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

           Underground worker might mean a number of things.  In my youth I considered myself as somewhat of a Hippie.  Back then Hippies were considered part of an "underground movement" by some, but I wasn't really that serious of a Hippie--I just identified with the movement to a degree.  A small degree.  It was pretense mostly.  I wasn't really very underground back then other than when I was exploring caves.  Being claustrophobic as I am, caving wasn't too much in my comfort realm.  I stopped doing that after a while.  Being underground isn't so much my thing.

          When I was a kid living in San Diego. during our frequent visits to Tijuana Mexico I would see many shops advertising "tuck and roll upholstery for automobiles".   There were a ton of those places back then, but I was never lured by the world of upholsterers.   When I had furniture that needed to be upholstered I just got rid of it and bought new furniture.  I'm no upholsterer.

          Undertaker seems like a very bizarre job to do.  Sure, it's respectable and can be lucrative I suppose, but being around dead bodies in a very intimate way seems creepy to me.  Somebody's got to do it, but that person is not me.  

            Neither is United States Government worker.  We've already got too many of them anyway.  If I had spent my life as a government worker, I probably would be enjoying a better retirement than I do now.  That is, if I had survived the work.  I'm sure there's a lot of government jobs that could have suited me, I didn't do them or pursue them.  So much for government work.

        Were you ever involved in underground work in reality or metaphorically?   Have you ever had anything upholstered or done it yourself?   Did you do any work for a government?

Telephone Worker, Teacher, Tour Guide, Theater Manager ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

          Telephone worker?  Yeah, done that plenty.  Sales, research, customer service, fundraising--I've done it all.  Of course, much work involves the telephone so it's not surprising that most of us have used this tool in some capacity during our working lives.  It's not what I want to do to make a living, but it is a vital tool for work in our time and has been for decades.

           Teacher could have been a real possibility for me.  When I was attending University of Tennessee back in the early 1970s my major was English with a career goal of becoming credentialed to teach.  My plan was to teach high school or middle school so I ended up taking a lot of teaching courses. But then I dropped out of college to start working.  Although I tried substitute teaching, being a full-time educator is not something I think I would have enjoyed.  I'm glad I did what I did in my life.

           Touring the country with road shows might have been a good credential for being a tour guide.  In fact, each year with new travelers on my tour I often felt like a guide as I took these unseasoned travelers to visit sites across the country that I had enjoyed on previous tours.  I kind of enjoy being a tour guide for family and friends so I might enjoy this as a job.

         Similarly, theater manager might have been a good path for me to have taken.  I've played many a fine theater and visited many others.  As noted in previous posts, I am a show business guy at heart.  I love the theater and most of my working life was spent in management.  Theater manager sounds like the ideal placement for me!

         How have you used the telephone in your working life?  Have you had any experience in the field of teaching?   Can you recall any tour guides in your life that you thought were particularly outstanding?

Sales, Security, Stage Manager, Showman, Silly Fellow ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

          Sales is really not for me.  I'm not much of a salesman, but maybe because I'm too honest.  A good salesperson will pride themselves on being able to sell just about anything no matter how good it is or what it is. I'm more apt to talk a perspective customer out of buying something.  But I have had my moments in sales so I guess I haven't been a complete failure at sales.  I'd just rather not do it.

         Security is another field in which I have no interest in doing myself.  I like to feel secure, but I'd prefer someone else to provide that security.  Sadly safety doesn't seem to be that much of an issue with many people these days.  At least not to those in power unless it's keeping themselves secure.

           Stage manager is more to my liking.  This is a job I've done for periods in my life and I enjoyed doing it.  But I like things related to show business whether in the spotlight or behind the scenes.  I've been a showman, not in any huge way, but in a satisfactory way to appease my own interests.  Yes, showman at heart is what I am.

           Or am I just a silly fellow pursuing fantasies that at times I have achieved, but mostly dreaming too big to ever make it reality.  Dreaming is fine, but it shouldn't interfere with the real every day life.  I suppose I've created balance in my life.  But I'm still a silly fellow--some might say.

          Are you adept at selling?  Did you have show business dreams at any time of your life?  Do you think your life pursuits have been silly or have you accomplished just as much as you ever hoped and dreamed?

Railroad Worker, Retailer, Radio DJ, Roustabout, Roadie, Road Warrior ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

           Railroads have been a fascination for me since I was a young child.  But railroads have fueled many imaginations since their inception nearly 300 years ago.  Aside from that fact, railroading might have been passed down through my family heritage.  For a while my maternal grandfather worked on a railroad.  That was before I was born, though I often heard stories about his working on a railroad operating a steam engine.  Working on a railroad not only sounds interesting, but it also sounds like a good topic for a song.

         Retailer is a common occupation that is not too bad to pursue even if it is often not particularly lucrative.  Most of my jobs dealing with tangible goods were related to the wholesale end of selling.  In the late eighties I did a few month stint working at a Radio Shack. I did enjoy the work environment and the people I encountered, but, alas, I didn't have a good grasp on what I was selling.  Still, the upper management did attempt to recruit me into managing a store.  That store would have been farther than I wanted to commute so I was hesitant to take it.  Then a wholesale position opened up for me and that was the end to my retail job.  I'd rather sell merchandise wholesale to retailers anyway.

        Radio DJ sounds like a dream job to me.  I'd do that one now if I had a good offer.  However I doubt whether I'll be getting that offer anytime soon.  I don't know that my voice is all that good to be a radio personality anyway.  But spinning discs on some late night radio show sounds kind of cool.  I'd play some weird music until the guys on top told me not to anymore.

        I was frequently around roustabouts when I was working in circuses or carnivals.  I'd rather be that kind of roustabout than one that works on oil rigs.  The pay would be a lot less, but I'd still be under a show business spell.  Still, it would be a rough life and I don't think I'd be cut out for that.  Likewise being a roadie for a rock and roll band.  It might be a glamorous life in some ways, but I'd rather be on the stage than setting it and cleaning it up.

       Most of my life I've been a "road warrior" as I've traveled the continent playing shows all over the place.   I've become very adapted to travel since I've been doing it since childhood.  I love the road and I am suited to the lifestyle of traveling.  Road life has a lure for many of us.  I'm one of those.

        Do enjoy long road trips?     Have you taken any extensive train trips?    What retail selling experiences have you had?  

Questioner, Quality Controller, Quoter, Quibbler ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

            Question for you:  Do you like to ask questions?

             I am a big questioner in many respects.  I am curious about the world around me as well as the people I meet.  No, I don't think of it as being nosy--I just like to know about things.  I like to hear stories and histories.  To me this is not weird, but completely normal.  I'd love to have a job asking questions, whether it be to get opinions or find out facts about people or what people might know about.  In my years spent in management as well as those working in marketing research, I've been in positions where my job was to ask questions.  I liked that role then and I still enjoy it.

          Quality control is vital for any business that wants to maintain a good reputation.  In my past jobs I've often been a stickler for giving customers a high quality of experience with me and the companies I worked for.   Insistence on quality control is pretty much practicing the "Golden Rule" of respect for others.  I like good quality whether I'm paying or not and I try to provide good quality as much as I can.  I can handle quality control because this is what I expect as well from others.

             Not only as a writer and blogger do I sometimes quote what others have said, but throughout my life I have enjoyed a good quote and will sometimes cite my own when I can remember them.  I've never been that great at memorizing things so I tend not quote very often off the cuff.  I keep a few books of quotes on my shelves just in case, but usually these days I'm more prone to just go online to find an appropriate quote.

           Quibbler some might say is more my style.  I don't think I quibble that much, but sometimes I think it's necessary when you want to excel in things like quality control.  I'm not really that much of a quibbler, I just play one on television.  Well, not really.  That reference was kind of a quote that I've heard elsewhere.  Don't know where I heard it, but I don't want to quibble about it.

       Do you think "Quibble" is kind of a dumb word?   Are you a stickler for high quality in the work you do?  Is there a favorite saying that you like to quote?

Printer, Publisher, Packer, Painter, Psychologist ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

         Printer might have been a good career choice for me.  My grandfather, my father's father, was a printer and quite a respected and accomplished printer at that.  Sadly I never got to meet him since he died well before I was born.  My father was only 12 years old when his father died in 1936.  From what I've read about my grandfather, he was not only highly proficient at his job, but he was considered to be one of the most well-read men in Clarksburg WV.  Sounds like a man that I would have liked to have met and sat down to talk about history and what he had read.  Maybe some printer gene was passed down to me since I am so fascinated by printed works and newspapers.  I never went into any kind of print profession, but I guess I could have.

        Maybe I could get into publishing one day. I know there are some bloggers who are also publishers of books and such. Publishing would certainly give me some advantage to having my own books published, but I guess I'll leave that job to someone else.  That is, if I ever have a book that needs to be published. And that could happen you know. 

         A number of my previous jobs have involved packing whether it was packing boxes to ship to customers or packing truckloads to ship to wherever. Packing is something that I enjoy.  It's much like putting a puzzle together at times.  When I was working on roadshows, the first packing of the truck was usually a bit of a challenge to get everything onboard just right the first time.  After that we would always pack the truck the same way to make the process fast and expedient. Of course, since I was manager, I was usually involved in the business of the show itself while everyone else did most of the packing. But over the years I did plenty of my share of that work.  I didn't mind it at all for the most part.

        Prior to going on the road with a show, I was involved in much of the show prep and a big part of that was painting sets, props, and show cases so I did a lot of wielding of paintbrushes during those times.  I've also painted walls in houses--my own and others.  In my senior year of high school my parents let me paint our family room with a wild psychedelic design and that became a gathering place for many of my friends for a number of years.  After I moved out of the house they eventually painted and then paneled over my artwork.  I wonder if anyone will ever discover it years from now and wonder about it all?

         My plan going into college was to major in psychology and become a psychologist or something in that field.   I pursued that aim for a couple of years until I switched over to a major in English.  Psychology still interests me a great deal, but I'm probably better off for not having gone into the profession.  I've got enough problems of my own let alone take on someone else's crazy problems.  I'm good at listening, but I'm not sure I give the best advice.

        Did you follow through on your initial career aims of high school?   How are your organizational skills when it comes to packing?   Have you found a good publisher that has helped you achieve your writing goals?

        

Operator, Office Worker, Order Taker, or Outdoorsman ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

       Operator is a job title that could mean a lot of things, but when I think of the term I think of a telephone operator.   Some of you probably remember the days when you could call "Operator" and get a real person instead of an automated system. They could connect you to numbers you needed to reach or find the numbers for you if you couldn't find them. An operator years ago was an actual human who could answer your questions and hopefully help you do whatever it was you needed to do on the telephone.  My maternal grandmother was a telephone operator back in 1919.  I never asked her about it because I never heard about this until after she died.  Operator sounds potentially interesting in its time, but now it is an anomaly for the most part.  Many jobs have become obsolete due to mechanization. 

       A few times over the years I have been an office worker to a certain extent.  I've rarely been confined to a desk all day doing clerical work, but I have worked in an office environment mostly answering phones and filling out paperwork.  But that is part of a manager job which was why I was doing office work.  And much of that office work entailed being an order taker.  Customers would call in to my office to place orders and I would enter those orders into the system to be shipped to the customers.  Order taking was one of my favorite office related jobs because I enjoyed interacting with customers.

        In my young adult years I fancied myself as a bit of an outdoorsman--to a limited extent at least.  I enjoyed hiking and camping, but I would never say I was enough of a pro to be acting in any professional capacity of outdoorsmanship.  These days I don't go outside all that much.  I'd have to drive a bit of a distance to escape the urban wilderness of Los Angeles and I don't care to be an outdoorsman in the city.  I like to watch television shows about it, but that's about as much wilderness that I can stand these days.

        What are your favorite outdoor activities?   Do you enjoy working in an office environment?  When's the last time you called an operator?

         

Navy guy, Nurse, Newspaper Writer, Novelist ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

        Navy guy might have been a career route that I could have taken in my life.  After I graduated from high school I could have looked into joining the Navy.  It was 1969 and Vietnam was going full guns and other deadly devices.  Since my father was in the Navy during World War II it might seem logical for me to follow the tradition--that is if I'd come from a military type family.  But my father was mostly recruited to play basketball on the Navy team.  He wasn't much of a sailor, but he was good enough of a basketball player to make the Navy want him on their team.  Sounds like a nice way to serve military time.

        My second wife became a nurse after our decade of being in show business together.  I heard her stories and those of other nurses who told their stories and I'm pretty sure I would not be good at nursing.  I guess a nurse gets used to the gross stuff and other weird stuff, but I don't know how I would be doing that occupation.  Sure, I could have been a nurse, but not.  No, not me.  But don't let me knock the nursing profession.  We need them and it's a great career move for young people looking for their life's work.

       Though now maybe more dream than reality, being a newspaper writer was long a dream profession in my younger days.  From the time I could read I was always fascinated with newspapers and the wonderful array of information and entertainment those pages contained.  My paternal grandfather had worked for a newspaper, but he was mostly a printer, though he did write some pieces for the paper at times or so I heard.  I never met him since he died several years before I was born.

      Novelist is more like it for me. I've long aspired to be a novelist. I've done some work on a few novels but haven't actually followed any through to completion.  Maybe someday I'll get a novel published.  Or something published.  Or maybe not.  But never say never as they sometimes say.

         Would you be good at a care job like nursing?   Did you like to read newspapers in your younger days or even now?   Have you achieved the dream of publishing your own novel?

       

-Marketing Researcher, Movie Star, Make-up Artist, Magician, Musician ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

 

          Marketing researchers don't bother me as much as telemarketers and I've done both.  I hated telemarketing vehemently, but I felt like the marketing research was more like a service to improve whatever it was we asking people about. Selling can be annoying, but often people are more than willing to give their opinions.  Everybody's got one like the saying goes. And some people just want to talk. I don't know if they still do marketing research like we used to do it back in the seventies and eighties when I was employed, but a look online tells me that the company I worked for is still in business and going strong from the looks of the website.

          Movie star was one of my childhood fantasy jobs.  In reality I probably would be cast as a make-up artist or some other behind the scenes work.  I did work as a movie extra once back in 1969 but that was my last and only film role.  However I spent many years selling make-up and other things to film production companies and to retail stores as well.  We distributed many popular brands of theatrical and Halloween make-up.

          Magician is more like it for me.  In my adolescent years I became interested in performance magic.  In my years of stage work in magic shows I sometimes performed magic tricks, but I never really considered myself as a magician.  I've known many magicians over the years and at previously mentioned company we sold magic tricks as well as make-up.

           Musician seems like the most desirable job to me.  I've always loved music and started playing violin in third grade.  For a short period in 1977 I actually worked as a fiddle player in a show at a dinner theater in Richmond VA.  It was pretty good pay while it lasted.  If I were to do anything in my retirement it would be to play music.  Never too late to do your dream job.

            How do you usually handle telemarketers?  What job in your life did you dislike the most?  Have you ever worked on a movie production? 

Landscaper, Librarian, Lawyer, Lecturer ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

          Landscaper is a job that is widely available here in Los Angeles.  Not that I'd want to be doing this type of work at my age.  I used to have to maintain my parents' huge yard in Tennessee when I was still living there. It wasn't my favorite thing to do on a summer day, but it was a great time to just think creatively and come up with songs or stories or just daydream while walking in circles and back and forth. Since I'm really not that much of an outdoorsy type worker then landscaping is not my thing.

         An indoor job like librarian would be more to my liking. Surrounded by books and other media all the time sounds like a dream environment.  Sometimes my house feels like a library because we have books in just about every room.  So I guess I am a librarian of my own collection.  Though in my wife's eyes she'd probably like to get rid of almost all of our books which would be a terrible thing in my own eyes.  I like being our home librarian.

        Since the homebound absurdity of COVID 2020, my wife and I have started watching a lot more television.  One of our current favorite shows are the Perry Mason episodes from 1957 to 1966.  That was a show I never watched as a child or later in syndication, but I was familiar with it.  Now that I'm older I enjoy courtroom dramas and I've thought how I might have liked being a lawyer.  I think I'd be good at it.  And I'm sure I'd have a lot more money now if I had pursued that career path in my life.

         In a similar vein I've thought how it might have been or even be an interesting pursuit to be a lecturer.  I don't think I have a real great speaking voice, but I guess if you have the right material and the fortitude to do it, one can make it as a speaker.  Some people might say that I tend to be a lecturer when they are around me and maybe I do.  I'm sure I used to lecture my kids when they were growing up, but they turned out pretty good and I think they probably give similar lectures to their kids.  So being a lecturer isn't really a dream for me since I've been doing it all my life.

        Do you tend to "lecture" others at times?   Are their any courtroom dramas that are your favorites?  When did you last go to a library and what did you do there?

          

Kitchen worker, Klutz, or King ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

          Kitchen work would not be my go-to career choice although I seem to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  Seems like through the years I've been the primary cook and kitchen staff in my household.  But it's nice to be appreciated for a meal I've fixed for others and see them enjoy the food.  My Thanksgiving dinners have achieved almost legendary status among my wife's family.  Cooking can be a lot of work, but somebody's got to do it.  Apparently I've answered the call and done an acceptable job.  Too bad I don't get a paycheck for my work, but I guess I get my rewards in other ways.

        Even if I can juggle and cook decently, I'm still kind of a klutz in many ways.  Forget about a sports career for me.  I was never much esteemed for my athletic abilities since I didn't do so well at elementary school recess.  In upper grades I was the bookish nerd type who avoided sports as much as I could.  Others might think that I'm a klutz and maybe I am kind of one, but still I can juggle--even though I am a klutzy juggler.  I did get paid for that. Being a klutz isn't totally a bad thing.

       King sounds good but it is a lot of responsibility.   In my working life I was often a manager.  That's kind of a business version of being "king" I suppose.  I made rules and administered them and when needed meted out justice.  Not like a real king, but I sometimes felt kingly in those positions of authority in my own mini kingdom.  And I was king of my household which didn't provide me any wealth of material riches, but it gave me a storehouse of wonderful memories.  To me that is the best king of all.

         Do you spend much time in the kitchen?  Are you a klutz or do you have agility?   What has been your favorite position of authority?

Journalist, Jeweler, Judge, Journeyman, Juggler ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

        Journalist seems like it could have been a good career choice for me.  Since childhood I've had a fascination with newspapers, magazines, television news, and anything that had to do with reporting the events of the world or community.  I would sometimes make my own little handwritten newspapers with made up stories just as part of my playtime.  In my high school and college years I would spend hours perusing newspapers and clipping articles that caught my interest.  I think I could have made a good journalist, but I was more interested in trying to get mentioned in the newspaper than working for one.  These days we could use more dedicated journalists instead of propagandists and spokespeople for causes and agendas.  Maybe I should have been a journalist, but I'm not going to pursue that career now.

        Jeweler could have been a very viable option for me I think.  Both my sisters worked at a local jewelry store in their young adult years.  If I had wanted to work in that jewelry store or another then I'm sure I could have gotten hired.  The fact is that I've never been a big fan of jewelry and tend not to wear any myself other than my wedding ring.   I've heard that jewelry has one of the biggest mark-ups of any product.  It's all a matter of perceived value like most things people pursue in life.  If I can't get worked up about jewelry then I think I wouldn't be a very good salesperson to try to sell it to someone else.  But then I've never been that great of a salesperson anyway.

        I'm probably better at judging people, but aren't most of us?  My wife and I have been watching the old Perry Mason episodes of late and sometimes I'll tell my wife that if I were playing a role on the show then I'd want to be the judge.  Unfortunately I guess I'd have to get a Law Degree to be a judge so I won't be sitting in the professional judge's chair.  And I doubt that I'll ever play a judge on TV.   I think I'd be a good judge though.  I'm pretty sure that I'd be better than a lot of the judges making the news these days.  Most likely I'd get kicked off the bench pretty quickly since I'm sure that not everyone would agree with my great judgmental wisdom and discernment.  Yeah, forget me being judge in court, but I'm going to keep judging in my mind.

      All my life I've heard the mention of "journeyman" as a career path.  With the connections I had through my father, I'm sure I could have easily pursued being a journeyman to a plumber, a carpenter, an ironworker, or any of the other trades where younger workers are trained under more experienced hands.  Seemed too much like labor to me so I became a "journey man" of a different sort as I started working on touring shows and taking all sorts of journeys.   My "life's journey" has been a series of many actual journeys that were required to do the show business work that I did.  Traveling is fun, but a journey becomes a lifestyle.

       What did I do in my show business journeys?   Lot's of things, but the one thing that I would name primarily is juggling.   If one would have asked me in the seventies and eighties about what I did for a living then I would have likely said, "I'm a juggler."  My parents were jugglers and that's what I ended up doing.  Now I don't juggle for a paycheck, but make me an offer.  Juggling is a big part of who I have been and who I am.

          Have you ever worked in the field of journalism?  What do you think is the state of journalism in our time?   When have you had to appear before a judge?

Ironworker, Insurance salesman, Interior designer, Indian Chief ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

        Ironworker is an occupation that I heard much mention of when I was growing up.  Since my father worked in industrial contracting he knew a lot of ironworkers and other such tradespeople.  During my few college summers working at the company where my father worked I encountered some of those ironworkers.  Tradesmen are necessity to our societal structure, but tradesman I am not.  I guess I could have become an ironworker, but I didn't and that's about all I need to say about that.

       My grandfather sold insurance for many years.  It was a good supplement to his income I guess and it brought him into contact with many people which was undoubtedly helpful to him when he went into politics.  I've had several friends who sold insurance and a few of those tried to get me into the profession. That type of selling has never been my forte so insurance sales never became a career for me.  I've just bought insurance.  Sometimes it seems like a racket to me, but I guess the option of not having insurance when you really need it is not a good thing when that happens.  I continue to maintain a few insurance policies, but hope I never have to use them.

      I think my oldest daughter would have been a good interior designer because she has a good eye for artistic visuals.  She didn't get that from me I'm sure because my design philosophy has more to do with function and saving money than making things look appealing to the eye.  I doubt whether my interior design talents--or lack thereof--would be very much in demand with anybody.  But I don't think I'd be too pleased with doing that job either.

       Indian Chief might be more appropriate for my skill set--or maybe I should say my range of work experience.  Nearly every job I've taken led to an offer of manager.  I'm not sure what it is about me, but for some reason I guess I exude some attitude of authority.   I may not have ever managed a tribe of Indigenous Peoples, but I have been a chief of business many times in my life.  

       Have you worked as a tradesperson of any kind?   What are your thoughts about insurance?   Do you enjoy designing and decorating your surroundings?

       

High Act, Host, Hotelier, Human Resources, or Historian ( #AtoZChallenge & #BOTB Results )

 

       High acts in the circus were some of my favorites.  By that I'm talking about trapeze artists, wire walkers and other acts that challenge gravity.  I've always dreamed of doing a high act, but I don't know that it would really be for me.  I don't mind being high as long as heights aren't involved. 

         I've been a host at my house on occasion, but I'm probably not such an attentive host as would make me a good professional host.  In the same sense, I've stayed at many hotels in my life, but I can't say I'd be a particularly good hotelier.  Wouldn't want that job either.

        Human resources might have been a good field for me, but these days I don't think I'd want to deal with this.  There are too many different kinds of humans to deal with.  It used to be easier I think.  Now there are too many issues to think about and so many more that still need to be imagined. Maybe I could just be human.  That can be a pretty tough job sometimes.

        Ideally I might like to be a historian.  Seems like quiet work that would entail a lot of research.  At my stage of life I'm probably far better with the past than the present or future.  Anyone want to hear about how things were when I was younger?

        How are you with heights?   Do you like to host parties at your house?  Have you ever had to deal with a human resources department in your job?

Battle of the Bands Results

Both Sides Now

        On April 1st I had a Battle of the Bands featuring versions of the Joni Mitchell song "Both Sides Now".  My first exposure to this song was from the Judy Collins version which was a hit when I was in high school.  Later I got the Judy Collins album with the song and have loved the sound ever since.  Neil Diamond did an excellent version of the song, but Judy's version is still my favorite.

Final Vote Tally

Judy Collins      8 votes   

Neil Diamond     5 votes

       

Golf Caddy, Gardener, Guard, Guitar-God, or God? ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

          Golf caddy was my first out of the family job experience.  It was the beginning of summer of 1965 when my family was living in the northwestern tip of Indiana in the hinterlands of the Chicago area.  One of my friends was going to work as a caddy for the summer and convinced me to join him.  I lasted one day.  It was a weird experience to me, but I'd never dealt in a job where I had to be personable and interact with strangers. I was fourteen and not so daring on my own like that. I made it through that first round and made a few bucks cash.  But I never went back.  Not a career choice for me.

        Neither is gardening.  I've known a number of gardeners.  Some are passionate about it, but for most I guess they just see it as their job. I wish I had that proverbial green thumb, but gardening has never been my forte.  Although there was that one year when I grew more peppers and cucumbers than I could eat.  A couple years later we paved over our backyard and there went my garden.  Fine with me because I am not a gardener.

        I'm more of a guard.  I'm good at just sitting and standing and walking and watching my surroundings.  I'd hate it if I really encountered some nefarious situation that could have a scary outcome.  Since I tend to be on my guard frequently when I'm in public areas then I might be a good guard.  I just want to be a safe guard, but I guess one of the purposes of a guard is to keep things safe. And calm.  Stay calm.

        If we're talking fantasy careers though, why not go with guitar-god!  Now that could be exciting and fun.  To be adulated for my artistry and adored by people everywhere!  What a life that sounds like.  Music, glamor, travel, wealth, and fame.  A guitar-god would have it all.

       Or maybe forget the guitar part and just be God.  

       Forgive me Lord.  You are doing a great job.  I would be the worst god ever.

      How are you in the garden?  What was your worst summer job of youth?   Have you ever done security guard work?

        

Fireman, Funeral Director, Fundraiser, Farmer, Friend ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

    

             Fireman was a dream job of many boys when I was young.  The reality of the job diverted most of us from making that career choice.  In places like Los Angeles where I live, the firefighters make pretty good money and have good benefits. Some of the guys I've known retired at 55 and had a nice life after that.  Might be a good career choice after all, but I don't think that I would have passed the physical requirements.  Maybe when I was younger, but certainly not now.

          Now I see myself more as a funeral director.  I wouldn't want to have to dress stiffly in a suit all the time and the environment seems rather creepy to me.  Dealing with death all day everyday would be like everyday real life except with an obsessive focus on death.  After my parents first got married in 1950, their first apartment was in a funeral home.  At least that's what they told me since I had not yet arrived into the world yet.  I guess the embryonic me was there at some point.  

         The dreaded job for me has been fundraiser.  I've done this a few times in my life mostly via telephone.  A few times I did very well, but mostly it was a very mentally oppressing job for me.  I'm not very good at asking for money.  And I don't like those people calling me and I'm sure you have an idea which people I'm talking about.

            My ultimate fantasy job would be a farmer.  It's a total fantasy since I don't know anything about farming other than watching those big tractors cruising though fields on a hot summer day while the driver sits in the comfort of an air-conditioned cabin with the music cranked up.  Well, that was always how I fantasized it.  But really, farmers are so important to us.  Farmers are like really good friends in my fantasy image.  And being a friend is one of the most important positions in life.  

         The absolute most important position I think I've held is that of father.  I hope my kids think I did okay.  They seem to be doing a good job at parenting themselves.  Maybe I had some influence.  As far as jobs go, father has been my favorite.

       Have you had any farming experience?   Did you ever have to resort to taking a telemarketing job?  Have you made your funeral arrangements yet--or even thought about it?

                                                                              

Eater, Elephant Trainer, Easter Bunny, Economist, Environmentalist, and Entertainer ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

          Eating is something I enjoy.  Getting paid to eat sounds like a dream job.  Well, that is, if I were getting paid to eat something I truly liked to eat and in that case getting the food for free would be enough.  When my kids were little I used to pay them sometimes to eat something they didn't want to try.  I'd offer them a quarter to try something and they would usually try it at least.  These days if I made the same offer to my grandkids they'd likely scoff at the idea. "A quarter is all you got to offer?"  I'm sure they'd pass on that one.  A dollar might get some attention, but I couldn't afford that for long.  Pay or no pay, give me the food and I'll at least try it.  But I'm sure no one is going to pay me to eat.

       Even if I were hungrier than I'd ever been, I could never eat an elephant.  I can recall hearing people saying this when they were extremely hungry, but it was a hyperbole used to counter the hyperbole of being so hungry one could eat a horse.  It's rather doubtful that I'd even consider eating a little bit of elephant meat.  I've always been fascinated by elephants, but not enough to eat their meat.  Nor would I want to be an elephant trainer.  Over the years while working on a few circuses, I've known some elephant trainers.  Seems like a huge investment in animals, trucks, equipment, and animal feed.  And it would be a lot of work.  I like to look at elephants, but I don't want to live with them and take care of them all the time.

        Easter Bunny might be a cushy job.  No, not the real Easter Bunny since we know that critter is not real.  I mean the costumed Easter Bunny like you see in shopping malls and the like.  What a nightmare!  Being confined in that furry costume and dealing with bratty kids all day sounds like a real nightmare to me.  I've had my share of wearing mascot costumes and having to maneuver with limited visibility.  Except the times when I wore a costume like this it was for brief periods on stage in a show.  I'd do my thing and then rush off stage to get the darn thing off so I could see and breathe and not be so hot.  No big furry costumes for me.  Well, unless the pay was extremely lucrative and I haven't been offered that yet.

        Economist might be more my speed.  That's a thinking man's job that probably entails a lot of deskwork.  These days I might be able to handle that, but I don't know how good I'd be at ascertaining the state of economies and the like.  And I do like the theorizing of environmentalists although I think a lot of their conclusions are a bit off base.  I'd likely be ejected from the community of environmentalists rather quickly if I were to enter that field of study.   

         Entertainer is my ultimate preferred career.  That's where I spent much of my working life and I'd actually go back to doing it again if the opportunity arose with the right financial terms to incentivize my taking the job.  I'm not sure I would want the same type schedule I used to have, but if things were made easier for me then I'd love to do another entertainment job.  Who knows?  It could happen I suppose...

        Any jobs under the letter "E" that sound interesting to you?  Have you ever worked in the guise of a mascot costumed character?  What do you think is the most pressing environment issue of our time?

      

        

         

Dishwasher, Driver, Deliveryman, Dreamer ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

       Dishwasher is one of those drudgeries that we often think of as a bottom level job.  Yet, one of my most memorable jobs was that of a dishwasher and it really wasn't a bad job at all.  Then again, it was a job I only held for a couple of weekends.  It was October of 1975 and the magic show that I had been working in was in a lull of a layover that found us staying in Terre Haute Indiana.  We didn't have any immediate bookings so I went to Manpower temp agency to find some job that would give me quick money to get me through the dry time.  What they offered was a weekend job washing dishes for the National Guard.  Apparently they were trying to encourage their members by hiring outside workers to do the grunt labor like dishwashing.  The pay was above the norm for that type of job and the hours were ideal for me.  The workplace conditions were outstanding and my coworkers were educated guys like me just looking for extra money.  It was a very nice job actually and we could fix our own breakfast and lunch when the meal rushes were over.  The best part for me was having access to all the milk that we wanted including chocolate milk.  As a chocolate milk fanatic at the time it was like my ultimate milk dream.  It's not a job I would want to do forever, but in those conditions it was not a bad dishwashing job at all.  

        Driving is one of my favorite things to do and fortunately for me many of my jobs involved a great deal of driving.  My favorite driving was when I was touring on shows and drove my van or occasionally a show truck.  That was long haul driving much of the time and I'd enjoy listening to music and enjoying the scenery.  However, I also had a job with an airport shuttle which I enjoyed.  My shift would start very early morning and I was usually off by early afternoon.  Those were some great hours despite having to wake up much earlier than most of my jobs.  I've also done a number of delivery jobs which I enjoyed a great deal.  That work was especially interesting in towns where I was staying temporarily because it gave me a fast track learning experience of unfamiliar territory.  It was like sightseeing with occasional delivery stops.  Delivery work has it perils.  Since my experience was typically in smaller towns I didn't have to deal with the types of things we've been seeing lately with Amazon drivers and such.   Dogs were a concern at times and  weird places could be a bit uncomfortable, but mostly the work wasn't too bad.   If I had pursued a career with some company like UPS or FedEx then I'd probably have a nice retirement right now, but that's not what I did and now I am where I am.

         My dream job would be to be a dreamer.  I find it annoying when certain political hacks refer to certain immigrants as "dreamers" and even pass laws referring to that term.  Heck, I used to call myself a "dreamer" before it became a political term for people who are dreaming about whatever handout they can get from our government.  All of us are dreamers.  We all have some kind of dream so no one group can claim that exclusive right.  I've dreamed in my life and I've actually lived my dream working jobs that I had only hoped to have when I was a kid.  I am a dreamer.  Now if I can only get paid just to dream and share my dreams with others.  Sounds like a true dream job to me.

       What work have you enjoyed that might be considered drudgery by some?   What is the worst work environment you can think of?    What is your biggest dream of a job you'd like to do or have done?

Carnie, Cook, Clerk, Customer Service ( #AtoZChallenge & #IWSG )

        

   

          Coulda, woulda, shoulda--yeah, I could have done lots of things in life.   But I did what I did and that was pretty cool for the most part.  Still, it's fun to think about what might have been--or what I'm glad wasn't.

          I could very possibly have been a carnie, traveling the country conning customers with shyster games, operating carnival rides, or working in a tent show of some kind.  Actually, I have on a couple of past occasions worked in a carnival show for short stints.  Not a lifestyle I'd probably have wanted to continue for any long period of time, but it was fun to do it for those short whiles when I was younger.  During my college years I also worked at a carnival supply company where I encountered many carnies.  Sure, they get a bad rap (sometimes deservedly so), but most of the carnies with whom I dealt were okay people.  Most worked hard during warm weather months and some of them spent winters in Florida or some other warmer clime. Seems like it could be an interesting life, but the life of the carny is not really my thing.

         Since I was a kid I've kind of enjoyed cooking, so I guess the career of cook or chef could have been one I might have pursued.  From all I've heard, restaurant work can be pretty stressful and things can get hot in the kitchen.  Cooking as a career choice might have gotten old fast.  I do enough cooking these days since I'm the cook in our household.  When my kids were growing up I usually cooked for them.  Now they are gone and I just cook for my wife and I.  That's enough cooking for me.

         Over the years I have worked both as a store clerk and a customer service representative.  Those were okay jobs, but I can't say I would have wanted a life career doing either.  Same with construction worker:  That was a job for the younger me and I wouldn't have wanted to do that my entire working life.  Though it's all commendable work.  There are just other things I'd rather do.

        Sometimes we just take jobs because they are there and we need them.

        Have you done any of these jobs?  What do you think of work that involves constant travel?   What is your favorite food to cook?

      The Insecure Writer's Support Group

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog. 
     The co-hosts for the April 3 posting of the IWSG are Janet Alcorn, T. Powell Coltrin, Natalie Aguirre, and Pat Garcia

April 3 question - How long have you been blogging? (Or on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram?) What do you like about it and how has it changed?

         I've been blogging almost as long as I've been doing Blogging from A to Z April Challenge--15 years!   When I first started in September of 2009 I was transitioning from a career that had basically ended primarily because of the internet and into a life where I was exploring the possibilities of income derived from the internet.

       The first few years were challenging and exciting.  The blogging world was so new and unique to me.  At last I had a way to fulfill my writing aspirations without going through the traditional channels of the past.  Now I could set up my own platform, write whatever I felt like writing, and just publish it for anyone to access.  That was what I liked.  However eventually I found the computer life interfering with my real world life.  In recent years, my enthusiasm for blogging has waned to some degree and certain other issues with computer and personal time have decreased my online time.

        Over my years of blogging I don't know that blogging itself has changed as much as the attitudes of individual bloggers have changed such as my own has.  I've seen bloggers come and go and the ones I continue to follow seem to be carrying on as they have.  And there are those who now blog in a similar way to which I do.

        For now, I continue to keep blogging since I do understand the potential in it.  Maybe my blogging will increase again as I find more personal purpose to it.  Or maybe I'll just continue doing what I've been doing.  I don't think I'll ever stop posting on my blog anytime soon, but for now I've got no great blogging impetus propelling me forward.  If that comes, then maybe I'll be on fire for blogging again.  For now I'll just tend to the embers of creativity until it's time to fan the flames.

        What do you find to be the most useful aspect of blogging?  Has your blogging activity ever interfered with your life?   Do you now blog more or less than you used to?

Barker, Baker, Booker, Blogger, ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

   

          Blogger?  I am a blogger, but I can't say I'm making much money doing it.  Then, I don't really pursue blogging with any great degree of seriousness.  In my early days of blogging I was pretty avid about the whole idea.  After all, that's the main reason I came up with doing this Blogging from A to Z April Challenge thing.  Over the years I've drifted away from my big blogging enthusiasm that beset me in those first few years.  Things happened and my attentions have been drawn elsewhere.  Not to say that I'm ever going to give up blogging, but for now it's not a big pursuit of mine.  For now blogging is a placeholder for something that might come up later where my blog will serve a real useful function.  Big ideas on hold for a moment I guess. For the time being, blogging is a dalliance rather than any real occupation, though sometimes I put as much work into it as I have many of my past jobs.

        Throughout my years in show business I've come into contact with barkers and I'm not talking about dogs.  If the term seems unfamiliar to you, a barker is a "talker" in front of some sort of attraction at a fair, carnival, circus, or some other public function.  The barker is the person out front who is drawing a crowd and giving the sales pitch for the attraction they are fronting.  Since I'm not much of a shouter who can glibly come up with things to say to persuade people to buy whatever it is that I'd like to "sell" then the art of barking is not my schtick. 

       And though I've baked things at home, I don't think I'd want to be a baker.  My youngest daughter is a pretty good baker.  For a while she was pretty busy with her home based baker business in New Jersey.  She would regularly post pictures of some of her masterful cakes and other assorted baked goods on Facebook.  As a regular job she also worked as a baker in various restaurants.   She really needed an industrial type kitchen to sustain her own business properly but so far has not gone that route.  She's good at the baking, but maybe not so much at the business part of things.  Let's face it--to have a successful business then you've got to have someone who understands the ins and outs of running a business.

    In 1966 after my family moved to Tennessee, my father started a booking agency that he worked as a sideline out of our home.  He did pretty good at it for a while, but maybe it got to be too much for him doing it in tandem with his regular full time job.  Or maybe the show booking business was no longer as lucrative as it had been in the years prior. Or maybe he just wasn't getting the return for his investment, which is probably the downfall of many a business.  Over the years I've dabbled in show booking.  It was not especially lucrative for me either.  Maybe I just didn't try hard enough.  But maybe I wasn't interested enough to keep pursuing that route.

 

      So for me it's been no to barking, baking, or booking.  But I guess blogging is still there as an option.  Arlee Bird--Blogger.  Not bad I guess.  Or maybe I can do better.  Time will tell.

        What "B" jobs have you done?   Have you done any jobs related to baking or cooking?   When is it time to give up on a business dream?

Accountant, Acrobat, Actor, Amanuensis (#BOTB & #AtoZChallenge )

   April Alphabet time has arrived again!  My theme this year is "I Coulda Been..."--all the paths I could have taken but didn't as well as some of the paths I did take on my life journey.   Ready?  Let's go...

   

       I could have been an accountant.  My father's main occupation in life was that of an accountant. So I guess I could have taken that route in my own life, but I don't think I was really cut out for that kind of a job.  My mother had been a acrobatic dancer before she married my dad and she continued this until my sister took dance lessons and took her place as the acrobat in the family.  My parents tried to get me to join my sister in dance lessons when I was probably about five, but I was having none of that either. I stubbornly resisted that talent--probably because I didn't really have that kind of talent.

      My shyness kept me from pursuing acting in school.  I appeared in a few school productions, but not as an actor.  In later life I somewhat dabbled in acting.  For over a decade I managed a stage production where I sometimes also played one or more roles.  Since the soundtrack was prerecorded maybe I wasn't such a legitimate actor, but I was acting out the parts being "spoken" on tape so I guess I was an actor of sorts.  Movie actor would have been an interesting career track I think, but other than working as an extra in the film A Walk in the Spring Rain back in 1970 I never became a film actor.

      These days I don't often run into an English language word that I've never heard before, but recently while reading Richard Dillon's Meriwether Lewis I came upon the word amanuensis.  According to Dillon, Lewis was an amanuensis to Thomas Jefferson--in other words according to one definition: a literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes dictation  or copies manuscripts.  Well, that seems pretty cool to have for oneself.  I could use one of those in that occupation.   But, alas, I am an amanuensis to myself.  Since I can't afford to hire my own amanuensis then the burden falls into my hands. Now I realize I can't even afford myself. 

       And that's all I have for the letter "A"!

Battle of the Bands

        Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and now hosted by StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   This event happens each month on the 15th and on some there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month.  My blog is one of those with a second Battle excepting over these summer months.   The premise is simple:  Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it.  Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this post for more Battle action.

Both Sides Now

        Just about anyone knows this great Joni Mitchell song because now it's become a classic standard performed by numerous artists. The song is fitting for my A to Z theme since it reflects on the options we face in life and the myriad things we have all done.  Here are two well known versions by top artists.  Which do you like best?

Judy Collins   "Both Sides Now"  (1967)

Neil Diamond   "Both Sides Now"  (1969)

Time to Vote!

         It's just time to have some fun.  In other words, which song version do you like best?   Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind.  You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.

        Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours. I don't know if anyone else will be doing a Battle this time around, but you can still check out these sites.


Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Landmark Sounds (Diedre Knight)

BATTLE OF THE BANDS BY DEBBIE D

Stine Writing

Trivial Music Silliness

Mike's Ramblings

Results on Monday April 8

       A to Z posts will keep on coming until then.   Hope you'll stay with me for those, but by all means stop back by to see who one this Battle.