The other day I was on a crowded elevator and someone asked me to hit the button for their floor. Another person asked for a different floor. Then the occupants started joking about how I was an elevator operator. The usual discomfort of close quarters with strangers evaporated.
Funny thing, I once was an elevator operator.
My first job out of high school was working an old elevator at Eaton’s in downtown Calgary. I had a strict (white shirt, black slacks, white gloves) dress code.
“third floor, children’s clothing, women’s washrooms”
After a few months, I was moved to the information desk. Eaton’s had decided to automate the elevator.
I had quite a few jobs as a young person, starting with a paper route at 11 (that photo? me at 11). Delivering papers in Calgary at 5 a.m. in the winter was absolutely not a good time. Sometimes I could drag my brother out with me, but he was well into teenage-hood by then, so that was rare.
When I was 14, I had a job working at Sears in the hardware department.
I was part of something called the Teen Council: a group of girls of every size who would “model” the latest “fashion” twice a year. I say “model” because we basically walked an elevated aisle in the mall, and “fashion” because Sears was not exactly leading edge. Basically an animated catalogue for teen girls.
Every Teen Council member also worked in the store and the assignments seemed to be given out based on size: the girls representing size 0 and 2 worked in jewellery and lingerie.
As the girl representing size 14 teens, I was deemed suitable for hardware – which if you’ve ever seen me wield a hammer, you would know was not the wisest choice.
Best part of the gig (she says sarcastically), they had HUGE photos of us placed at an entrance, laid out, you got it, according to size. The size 16 girl and I were on an opposite wall to the others – almost as if we needed more room.
I definitely enjoyed the sound of my feet walking away from that job.
I once filled in for a friend at her job during summer vacation. She worked in a floral shop which also carried household items, like placemats and cloth napkins. I was given free rein to rearrange displays to my heart’s content. I did/do not have any designer flare, but I loved creating little place settings using all one colour but different patterns. Or putting teddy bears in big chairs with tea cups and funny hats.
The job I treasured in those years was babysitting. I played Barbies and board games and coloured and sang songs for days. My mom had lots of friends with small children and there was never a holiday season that I was not busy every night. Summer afternoons were spent pushing kids on swings and catching them on slides.
In the evenings, I loved the fully stocked pantries and fridges and the bookshelves full of novels. My absolute favourite place to babysit had an incredibly rich library of show tune vinyl. And I am pretty sure I wore out their copy of Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge over Trouble Water.
Sail on silver girl
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
Oh, if you need a friend
I’m sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
I’ll never tire of hanging out with small humans, playing dress up or looking at clouds or, most especially, reading out loud.
