Workin'

I've never mentioned my current employment on this blog. I wrote about my last job in Swords & District Credit Union. I worked there from August 2007 until September 2007. I was on the books until April this year when I asked for the P45 and all that sort of business.

I did this because I got a new job. I work in a Penny's (operated by Primark) outlet in Dublin. A family acquaintance is a manager in the shop and it was suggested that I leave in a C.V., which I did and soon enough I had an interview and a job (in that order, obviously, that's how it works as I'm sure you're all aware).

The tasks involved in the job include recovery (the great euphemism translating to cleaning up after messy customers), filling out the shelves/rails/other stock-holding apparatus, helping with deliveries marking-down the price of stock, generally helping customers with sizes etc. and moving stuff around.

I started on the eighteenth of April, 2008. It was my Ma's birthday and we were out in the Cock Tavern beforehand for dinner. So, that was grand. I was to be in by half-six, but I got the time wrong! Watta mistaka ta make! (Saying of a character in 'Allo, 'Allo for those that aren't familiar with it.) So, a great start, an hour late. What makes this amazing is the reaction of the manager when I arrived: "Y'eejit!" Grand.

There's no radio in the shop, so the only thing to listen to is the conversations of the customers. It usually consists of mothers telling their children to shut the fuck up or not to be running away. There's the odd couple of auld fella that comes in and give out about young people. Nothing outstanding, but you get a laugh every now and again. So, for immediate entertainment, it's up to yourself. I sing quietly away to myself. At one stage I was singing that same verse of "One Man Guy" for about an hour. So, that happens. Singing unfortunately doesn't always fill the gap of discontented, unoccupied mind. Pretend conversations fill some time too. That sounds desperate sad but I've always done that and I doubt that I'm the only person that does it either.

It can seem to be a lonely job at times. You're tidying a table of a set of rails and there's nobody in the direct vicinity to chat to so you have an internal chat. There are other staff around and sometimes I wish that I could be put somewhere else in the shop where I could at least talk to someone. But then I think, even if I was near enough to someone else to speak to them, would I speak to them? Answer/Freagra: Probably not. So there's a paradox or a contradiction or a geebag situation for you. It's probably closest to a geebag situation, then second closest to a paradox and not really close to a contradiction at all.

I have a bit of a what-am-I-going-to-talk-to-this-person-about attitude. Which is sort of shit. I can remember walking across to my friend's house years ago (maybe six or seven years ago) and trying to think of things to talk about. I've never really thought about this sort of thing until reasonably recently, so I don't know if this is a common frame of mind or not. It seems that it would impede one's conversational skills, anyway.

So, as I work, I talk and sing to myself. I must seem like a slightly posh, introverted weirdo. Which, I suppose, is fine by me, if that is the case. There's worse things that you could portray yourself as. A complete wankbag, drug-dealer would be one.

That's it for tonight. I'd like to thank my production team, my researchers and Colin. Goodnight.