My first job was more than just food service; I was an ice cream slinger extraordinaire!
While I was working towards my degree I worked as a barista in a smoky, dirty, noisy coffee shop, it was probably the worst job Tamworth had to offer. Now the café was a dump, graffiti adorned the walls and bits of the ceiling where know to break off and ‘flavour’ unsuspecting patron’s drinks. Smoking was permitted in the small space and an unrelenting haze was part of the ambience. My mother was horrified when she came to see the dive where I was working, she begged me to go apply at Starbucks. While Starbucks was more hygienic and probably paid better I had no desire to leave my coffee shop. My coffee shop was filled with regulars who I saw every shift; these regulars quickly became my friends. When it was slow I would sit at various booths and have a smoke and partake in good conversation. I could bring my own music and play whatever I liked. There was no uniform, no apron, and no dress code. I could wear whatever I like, show off my tattoos and dye my hair green if I wanted to. There were no rules except to try to make the health department happy and to make money. The owner didn’t care if you swore or danced on the counter or instigated a whip cream fight with a customer. In fact he encouraged crazy antics as it boosted business. Now that I have a grown up job I miss the days when work felt no different than hanging out with my friends.
