When I first joined the job market I was a fresh-faced youth, hopeful and ready to make my mark on the world. I figured I'd nailed it with my dream job fist time, working at an escape room! Puzzles, codes, switches, gears, and an endless font of creativity to draw from. As my first daughter entered the world though, I required income beyond what an independent business could provide. So I began my search anew, hungry for a new experience and a larger paycheck. Spectrum Communications was willing to provide both."Ugh, a call center?" That's the usual response when I tell people I answered phones for a living and the feeling is understandable. Being held accountable for mistakes that are not your own can be a taxing experience, but the lessons can be invaluable. For one, de-escalation becomes a way of avoiding the bar on the way home. Soon after that comes the realization that it isn't personal; the person on the other end paid for a service and is unsatisfied. All they know is YOU are the one who should be able to fix it. Lastly, the sale takes precedent above all else. If they're on the line and got the time, sell. A greater challenge loomed past the cubicle however and I was determined to meet it.Hospitals are pristine halls of medicinal healing, beacons of towering heroism saving lives in these difficult times. Being a hospital security guard is about two steps up from being a preschool teacher at the height of flu season. From restraining uncooperative patients to searching for contraband and all manner of work in between, a smile held strong despite the strain of nerve. Occasionally, one might also be called upon to transport an ex-member of the living or guide a guest to the proper destination. All in a days work. The airplane lines up for the runway, winds up its engines and... sputters to a halt? Not if I had anything to say about it! Earplugs donned, gloves on, vest zipped, and PDA ready to roll, the tarmac sang her siren song and I was a slave to it. Heavy equipment longed to be hooked in, for the commercial grade fuel to flow through it and provide the wonder of air travel with glorious life. Trip to Phoenix? I got the fuel mix. Cornhuskers ho? On my go! Windy city bound? Let's get her off the ground. What of the poor folk tied down by gravity? "Choo choo!"It is a fantasy held by many to blow a train horn. I have no reservation in sayin it is every bit as gratifying as one would believe. Heavy are the hands that hold the life of the commuter though, regulations line the skull of the responsible. So, feel free to offer my next adventure!
