Following the herd

Ok, I was 16, at that age you get the miraculous degree to work for a living.  Great Job. Its my time to labor and run around and bring home the bacon. (or maybe strudel as I am now kosher).   So that said, my friend had a job at a place called Bob Evans, a family "down on the farm" restaurant that caters to the breakfast crowd.  Ok, be proud.  Wear your white shirt, black pants, name tag and string tie with esteem.  Right?
I must say I began as a dishwasher and bus boy.  A tiring experience for someone my age, but at that time, I was just cruising around and picking things up and organizing them and washing them off.  Simple job.  Actually its not the most blessed existences but it does not kill you and it does not hurt your organizational and efficiency skills.  So get a job kids.  Its useful.
I must say that I gravitated to kitchen preparatory work.  I was the guy who came in at 5 am, mixed the dough which was prepared industrially ahead of my water adding and mixing process.  I would roll it all out and with a large cookie cutting like rolling pin with 6 sided compartments, I would begin the process of cutting the biscuit.  I would lay them on pans greased with a lard like substance (great huh. Good job for a Jewish youth.right.  Where were the Jewish leaders in my life back then huh?)  and then insert it in the over and bake or more likely store them in the refrigerator unit for the day ahead.
I was also an outdoors grounds keeper. I scrubbed the face of the building, scrubbed the pillars,  changed the large 2 story high text sign that had removable letters and even watered the shrubbery. That was nice.  The sun felt good. I'd enjoy that activity myself any day.
So that was it.  Bob Evans for the Jewish kid.  I even ate at that venue for a number of years.  To my non jewish readers,  enjoy.  The food tastes pretty good.  The chicken soup is great with its fat noodles and of course biscuits and the like are a staple.  Breakfast is always a good time for family or friends or to read the paper alone.  I went there for years on and off. I can not say I will return sadly.  But I am fond of the truth and that is where I was.   Enjoy.  I think my earnings for 2-3 months were only in the 600 dollar range.  Not a big helping but that's the job. 4 dollars and some change an hour.   I can not recall a single acquisition that I used the funds for or still have.   Troubling at a simple level but I did work.  For those of you who complain that democrats "don't labor".. I did in fact labor indeed.
Sadly I will report to you that that year between my sophomore and junior year in high school, I was offered 2 engrossing books on American History to prepare for an AP American History Class in the fall.  I never had a chance to touch either. I dropped the class. I took the Comp level class where we just sat for a year and took turns reading aloud out of a text book.  I remember no day that there was any inspiration or insightful meaningful learning.  I was a poor man.  I am still poor. I never had Mr. David Weber, a master among men for American History. (though I had him briefly the following year for an AP American government class).  Those who took the course prospered.  I languished, though the teacher was a fellow named Mr. Scott who was friendly, interesting and forthright.  A few good qualities to be exposed.
So a greater American Citizen I was not.  A day laborer I was indeed.  I gained money that I can not remember its use.  I did have a little camaraderie and I did improve my efficiency and enjoyed some fun kitchen and out door experiences. I was exposed to people who had limited functional or social capacities who were in deed doing the best they could do to survive in the real world.  Some heroes, some passing spirits.   Thats worth a blog and here it is.  Thanks.