Like many during these tough economic times, this past summer I resigned myself to taking a second job to meet growing demand for bills and declining income. My wife had just lost her job as a sales representative who works from home. and the fact that she was halfway into her first trimester put me in panic mode. We decided that the best thing for my wife would be to rest at home during her pregnancy. Also, who was going to hire someone knowing they were going to quit in a few months?

However, it should be understood that he was very excited about this additional employment opportunity. “A second job?” I thought. “This is crazy! I’m 24 years old, I have a college degree, a wife, and countless other responsibilities. How the hell am I going to handle all of this while I have two jobs?” Those thoughts and doubts disappeared almost as soon as they appeared. You see, ever since my wife and I were dating, we had a clear goal to give her the option to stay home full time once she had children. This second job was not just a way to pay bills, it was a way to keep my wife at home fulfilling the role I had always dreamed of. So any doubts, fears, or worries you had about being exhausted quickly went out the window because you knew you had to do whatever it took to make it happen.

It wasn’t long before I found a great part-time job that fit my full-time schedule, gave me the opportunity to earn more than minimum wage, and was close to home: Delivery driver; Pizza Hut Corporation; Clackamas, Oregon. I can’t say I was excited about the title, proud of my work, or eager to add this position to ole’s resume, but it was a means to an end and that was all I needed right now. So, I put on my uniform, polished my car trim, and used my GPS. A year and a half later, I survived and recounted my thoughts on my time at Pizza Hut.

1. The position of pizza delivery driver is greatly underrated. From barking dogs, hidden apartment buildings that I swore needed a treasure map to find, trash-filled front porches containing about a year of trash, to customers leaving no tips, I feel like I can say I’ve seen just about everything. I once made a delivery to an RV park where the customer offered to tip me with weed. I politely declined. I’m not going to say that being a pizza hut driver is the hardest job out there; spending more than half of your shift on the road listening to the radio is not bad at all. And I won’t say that most delivery men are doing their part for public relations, but I will say that there are a lot of undervalued jobs. From the pregnant girl who delivers your burritos at Taco Bell, to the working mom who cleans your table at Denny’s, to the scared-to-be dad who delivers your pizza, everyone has a story and everyone deserves an appreciation for their work. they do.

2. You are never too polite to roll up your sleeves. When I started at Pizza Hut, I was almost ashamed to tell my co-workers about my background; the fact that I had graduated from college and worked for a successful printing company. At first I took on a more spectator role. I watched people, their work ethic, listened to their stories. What I saw was a group of people who were just trying to make it happen. I’m not going to say that having a degree and a good job made me ignorant or arrogant, but I think I’ve gotten a little rusty with good old-fashioned manual work. There’s something about washing dishes in boiling water until your hands are blistered and pruned to build character. It makes you appreciate what you have. Enjoy it? Hell no. Did I regain a proper understanding of what it means to earn their livelihood? You gamble. On the opposite spectrum, there were times when I wanted to flaunt my title all over the place. When a customer complained that their pizza was too crispy (when it wasn’t) or when a manager forced me to scrub a perfectly spotless floor (when it was), I wanted to say, “Don’t you know that I? college? Chances are, I’m more educated than you, and here you are thinking you know the best way to do things! “Wow, writing that now was difficult. I can’t believe how arrogant I was at times, how often I wanted to use my status as a way to avoid responsibility. The point is that there is no amount of education that can free you from the humility of life.

3. The salt of the earth are some good people. I know that most of the customer stories I have told so far have had a negative tone. The fact is, there are a lot of good people out there. Ordinary low-income, working-class people who understand what life is all about. I had the fortunate privilege that my store was sandwiched between a very prosperous neighborhood and a very poor neighborhood. The comparison was amazing. Most of the time I was stiff (foodservice lingo for “don’t tip”) it was in the wealthy neighborhood. I’m not trying to make any kind of political statement, but it seemed that those who lived on the lowest income understood my situation better. They knew I was not fighting for a career in food delivery services, and many of them took it upon themselves to bless me with their hard-earned money. Last Christmas I was doing a delivery in the middle of a terrible snowstorm. My son was about a week old at the time and my mind was not on my work. As I approached the ruined apartment, I was greeted by the warm smile of a woman who must be at least 150 years old. “Go ahead! Get warm!” as he beckoned me out of the cold and into his driveway. “How are you?” she asked. “I’m fine. I’m excited that my shift is over so I can go home and see my son. He was born a week ago on Christmas Eve.” “Oh my God! God bless you!” Without hesitation, the old woman, who definitely didn’t have much to spare, pulled out a $ 20 bill as a tip. I’m not sure his total was $ 20, so when he handed me the money I was speechless. As I mentioned before, avoiding any political statement, I have great appreciation and respect for those who work hard for their money and give without hesitation.

4. It was worth it. I will never forget the night. I had a difficult delivery night. I think I left with about $ 12 in tips for my entire shift. He was in a very bad mood. I walked to the front door of my house and when I opened the door, I saw my wife on the floor playing with my baby. It was at that moment that I realized why I was doing what I was doing. Seeing the smile on my wife’s face and knowing that she didn’t have to worry about money or being away from her baby while at work was priceless. I have recently decided to devote more time and effort to my graphic design company (www.enrichdesign.us) along with my full time job at my print shop (www.bridgetown.com), and I have made the decision to stop working at Pizza . Cabin. It’s a bit of a leap of faith, as anyone in graphic design can tell you that work is anything but constant, but I’m looking forward to building something that I’m passionate about. I am proud of the fact that when my son grows up I will be able to tell him that I worked two jobs so he could be home with his mom, that I did whatever it took to keep things together and pay the bills. I am proud of my wife for encouraging me all those times that I wanted to quit smoking or explode with an ungrateful client. If life asks you to give a little more than you have, to do a little more than you want, and to try a little more than you think is worth it, don’t ignore it; it could be your best education.