Do you remember your first job? I do. I worked in an underwear factory! It was the summer before my freshman year at OU, and my job was typing labels for boxes of men’s briefs and tees. I sat in an office and typed for hours! Every day, when I arrived before 6 am, I’d walk through the production department. Long lines of sewing machines filled the warehouse. At the far end, there were seemingly endless lines of tables where the fabric was cut. It was an efficient set-up and employed several hundred people.
I learned some things from this first job that have helped me over the years. I learned that no job is too menial, and that every person is important. If the cutters didn’t do their jobs accurately, the seamstresses were unable to put the pieces together correctly. This meant that the packers had nothing to pack, and if we were without a product, we had nothing to ship. Every person in that organization impacted everyone else.
I learned that each person needed to do his or her job and do it well. We all had tasks, and if someone tried to do too much or too little, it threw everything off balance and the results were disastrous.
I learned that when we start something, we should finish it. The work of those in production and packing would’ve been useless without our department to ship the goods.
My first job helped me to understand that we need to have fun at work! Most of the people who worked in that factory were friends who enjoyed being together. They laughed a lot, shared stories as they completed their daily tasks, and tried to make each day a new adventure! They shared life with one another in a beautiful way, and it made for a pleasant work environment.
By far, the most important thing I learned that summer was that I did NOT want to have a life-long job that required me to get out of bed at 4:30 am. I learned that I really wanted a larger paycheck than the one I received. While others were better compensated and certainly deserved it, I earned the standard minimum wage. This experience was a great motivator to go to college!
It’s with gratitude that I remember this first work experience and the lessons learned. God knew this would help me in my search for His plan for my life. I’ll close with a “brief” scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:15- “Thanks therefore be unto God for His unspeakable gifts.” And in case you’re wondering—Fruit of the Loom!
Susan Easttom, Director of Children’s Ministries
