Working during the pandemic
by Skyler Bradley
After being sent home from school last March, I came home to a ghost town. Everything was closed until further notice aside from grocery stores and pharmacies. For a while, going to the grocery store was the only big outing anyone could have. Eventually, businesses slowly but surely started to open back up. I saw the pandemic as a blessing in disguise because although I missed my college and my friends terribly, I was able to work while I have been home and have been able to build up a very depleted bank account. As someone who always needs to be doing something, I work two jobs, I love going to both of them. I have never seen work as a bad thing and I have always enjoyed going to work, keeping busy and building relationships with customers and co workers.
Image: Skyler Bradley with her coworkers (photo courtesy of Skyler Bradley)
One of my jobs is a serving job. I love waitressing; it gives me the opportunity to meet new people every time I work. I never dread going to work because I have always really enjoyed talking to people and learning something new about someone. I have also learned that that’s all anyone really wants, a friendly face in the midst of a not so great year. People have been quarantined in their homes for months and going out to eat adds a bit of normalcy back into everyone’s lives. I have noticed that people love to talk more than they did before the pandemic. Life can feel pretty isolating when there is no one to talk to, or maybe just one other person living in the home. I love making people laugh and smile, and I have to say, I’m pretty good at it. I’ve always found it easy to make conversions with the tables that I’m serving. The thing that I really love about being a waitress, specific to my place of work is that I work at a small diner, many of the people that come in, are regulars. There is no better feeling than having a table request that you be their waitress, it makes me happy that I make other people happy.
My second job is working at a tanning salon, which is anything but boring. I have the most amazing boss in the world who makes it all the worthwhile to go to work. On top of that, I love the interactions that I have with the customers that come in to tan. Often, customers will stay to chat after they have gone tanning. This is the best because it is so nice to know that in the midst of maybe a busy day for our customers, they’re always willing to stay a few minutes to catch up and chat. Working during this pandemic has been one of the things that I have loved most about being home. Sometimes people just need someone to talk to and I love being someone that they feel comfortable chatting with, even if it’s just to tell me about their day.
Categories: Food, People