Work Ethic

Not Just a Wage

In 1987, I started college in Fareham. This was my first step into the real world. For a young 16-year-old, this was my first taste of independence. Despite my anxiety, I grasped the opportunity with open arms and enjoyed the next chapter of my life — essentially away from home. College was full on in every respect. I was a full-time student, with drive and ambition, studying a subject I believed would be my future. This was a decision I regretted later on, but those first few months were positive in the main, as I navigated the challenges of life with gusto.

This was also a period when I decided to find my first job. Of course, this was about money in part, but it was also about establishing myself in society as a whole. As an anxious individual, I always found social situations hard, so pushing myself to get a job was important in building the confidence and character I believe I have today. It was my first job — not my college course — that taught me much about life and other people. College appeared to be a continuation of school in all but name, and I never really integrated as I would have liked. Work, however, was my escape into reality, not an illusion created my college and the course I was undertaking. 

Woolworths - A Rite of Passage

My first job was at Woolworths in the small market town of Fareham, where I grew up. It was a short walk from Fareham Tertiary College, and a place I knew well. I worked every Saturday, in the days before Sunday opening hours and from the moment I started, I felt at home. Woolworths, was almost a 'rite of passage' for many teenagers like me; school-leavers looking for their first job. This was a shop that had been at the centre of British life for generations. It was the go-to place for families at Christmas, and the first port of call, when you needed something, you just couldn't find anywhere else. From Pick n Mix (Pick n Nix, to those in the know), DIY tools and paint, to delicatessen meats and cheese, electronics and records, Woolies, as it was affectionately called, was the top of the shops, for as long as I can remember.

Initially, I was employed for Christmas, working the tills, packing bags and directing customers to various departments in store. This was a position I relished. I loved meeting new people and made many valuable friendships with work colleagues — many of whom are still friends today.  This wasn't about money — for me at least — this was about establishing strong relationships and building the foundations of a working life that has spanned 40 years. Woolworths was quite simply the crutch I needed to get me through college. At a time when I was discovering my sexuality and my place in the world around me, Woolworths was the constant in my life. This socially awkward teenage grew into a popular, happy, likeable young man, who had gained confidence, resilience, and composure. Today, I can see the changes, this Saturday job instilled in me and can look back with satisfaction at all I achieved.

Wrestling with my sexuality, often meant neglecting other areas of my life. For many years, my perception of this period was essentially negative, because of the difficulties I was going through. However, at 55 years old, I can now sit back and assess my years working for Woolies in a more measured way. Yes, I was suffering from the effects of bullying and abuse, but my life at Woolworths gave me an escape when I needed it most. My first job paid for the clothes, records, and necessities I required, but it also gave me so much more, that I wouldn't have otherwise had. This was the position that afforded me hope and optimism at a troubling time, giving me confidence for the future, when I couldn't see through the apathy.

The Benefits of Work

Wages are important. The money I earn today is a far cry from the small remuneration I was awarded in the late 1980s. Despite earning a decent wage today, living in Australia, I earn far less than most of my peers. When I look across social media, rediscovering old college friendships, I am reminded of how successful they are: company directors, business owners, accountants, and lawyers. As for me, well, I stayed firmly in the retail sector, enjoying working with a hodgepodge of people I wouldn't have met under normal circumstances. I have been lucky to meet some wonderful, colourful individuals, who have enriched and enhanced my life at every level. And I have never regretted my decision to work in an environment, that many consider a stepping stone, not a dynamic, formidable career.

Despite the aches and pains of advancing age, I am happy to get up for work each morning. There is no one hour commute to the other side of the city for me. I live a ten-minute walk away and feel lucky to work where I do. I am supported through everything I endure in life, and lead a very comfortable existence. Admittedly, I do not have a high-powered executive position, earning hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. But I do have self-respect, a vision for the future, that suits my current stage of life, and a reason to live in a country I barely even know.

I have suffered from anxiety from as long as I can remember, and have spent periods when I have been unable to work. But, looking back to these complex and problematic periods, I am fully aware now, that inactivity didn't solve the problems I was experiencing. Work isn't just about the pounds, euro's or dollars in my pocket. It is about shared life experiences, the formation of bonds and the desire to get up in the morning, when you would rather stay in bed - without it life wouldn't be worth living!