So you're just working here now?

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I dread seeing people from my past when I go to work. But, working in one of the most popular shops in the centre of my town means that, unfortunately, it happens quite a lot. 

People from my past ranges from old teachers, old friends, old not-friends (enemies?) and even the parents of people I used to know and be friends with. As soon as one of them approaches the till where I happen to be serving, a feeling of dread takes over because I know what question is undoubtedly going to pop up. 

"So, you're just working here then?".

It's always the same slight head tilt, patronising tone of voice and, sometimes, even a pained smile as though they can't quite believe I am "just" working in retail. Sometimes it gets worse when it's a half term or school holidays, and the question extends to "So, you're just working here whilst you're back from uni then?". It makes me cringe, sigh inwardly and want to throw something at them simultaneously. 

First of all, so what if I was "just" working in retail? It's honestly not as easy as you think it is. Dealing with rude people, for one, is hard enough. However, in my place of work (obviously I can't speak for everyone) we have individual targets to meet, we have a whole list of questions we have to ask customers at the till, we have to do certain things on the shop floor or we're pulled up for it. We have to remember what the new trends are named, the song and the muse that matches the trend, the description of the trend. We have to remember where every item of clothing is, despite the shop being moved around once a week. We have to help style customers, assist them with their needs, do multiple tasks at once. Sure, retail isn't the most strenuous of jobs, but it isn't the big joke of a job that people make it out to be, and to ask if I'm "just" working here now is pretty insulting. 

It would be better to ask me what I'm up to now, surely? "Hey, how are you, what do you do nowadays?". That kind of thing. I'd love to turn around and say "Oh just working here so I have a permanent source of income to run my own magazine and be able to work my 6 other jobs". I'd like to see them turn around and say I was "just" working in retail then. 

I think the most irksome part of the sentence is the word "just". Like it's nothing special to be working here, it's not worthwhile. I should be at uni, in a full time career or whatever else. Not "just" working here. But guess what? Everyone is different and everyone does different things with their lives. I've decided to skip out on uni and yes I "just" work here, alongside doing 6 other jobs. And I'm happy with that decision. 

I don't know, maybe I'm just being over sensitive but I "just" (haha) find it very rude of people to assume either that this is all I'm doing with my life or that even if this is all I'm doing with my life it's somehow not good enough- at least for the person asking. 

Yes I "just" work here. But I do a hell of a lot more things than that too.

Love from,
Florence Grace 

Comments

  1. Izzy P21 July 2016 at 03:58

    Hiya, good post. Just wondering what the other jobs you do are, I'd love to know. How do you keep on top of them all??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Florence Grace21 July 2016 at 11:39

      Hiya! I work in Topshop, I have a zero hours contract with a nursery, I write for Vale Life Magazine, I write for Amor Magazine, I run the social media for Beautstar and the facebook page for Amor and I also run my own magazine! :) It is very difficult to keep on top of it all but diaries and to do lists help!

      Delete

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