Leaving the Service

When I was fifteen, I bagged groceries at the grocery store. For my hard work, I averaged about fifteen dollars a day in tips. Working at the store was a privilege–there was a waiting list. Work was biweekly if I was lucky. Babysitting was my ‘cash cow.’ Four hours of playing with two adorable children paid a minimum of fifty-dollars a weekend–tip not included. Neither of the jobs were steady work; I was an active teenager with a full social calendar. Bagging was available only if someone called in sick and I babysat only on military paydays-two weekends per month.

Bagging groceries required speed and precision. Cashiers seemed to furiously throw the groceries at me. Double bagging fiascos still haunt me to this day. Customers worked against me. Placing their groceries on the belt in random order, I never se...