Return to Force

 

Last week was a fairly momentous one---I wore pants.

It’s been a while since I did anything that required them, but last week I started one part-time job and was hired for another.

Thursday morning, I began my training to be a standardized patient for Augusta University’s medical college and in the afternoon officially became a seasonal hire for Kohl’s.

At AU, I’ll be helping up-and-coming doctors train for their careers while I’ll be filling online orders for Kohl’s. I might also be working the shipping docks as well. I’ve been practicing my Brando “I coulda been a contender” impression just in case.

I headed to downtown Augusta with a flood of emotion given my time away from the workforce. With the remnants of Hurricane Sally washing through the area, I made it downtown, passing a car stranded in flood waters, shortly before the area was shut down. I was given a tour of the facility before all the events for the afternoon were canceled and I was sent home.

Tomorrow begins a four-hour shift at our local Kohl’s, about 15 minutes down the road. It’s been close to 30 years since I worked actual retail, but since whatever I’m doing will require little interaction with the public, it should go smoothly.

Since tone is hard to measure in print, I say in all sincerity that I appreciate Kohl’s for taking a chance on a 53-year-old kid from the ‘burbs. Especially after Target and Walgreen’s dismissed my applications out-of-hand.

The search for a full-time job continues, but I’m grateful to play a small part in the rebuilding of our local economy.