I worked in a gas station in high school

In addition to working at the parsley farm in high school, I also got a job working at a gas station when I was a sophomore or a junior (don't remember). It was a local gas station that had only high school girls working behind the counter and a few guys working in the garage.

One of my friends was working there and loved it so I thought I would try to get hired. I was so nervous making the phone call to find out if they had looked over my application and made a decision. It was the first job that I had applied for and I had no idea how things worked - just went on the instructions of my dad: Submit an application, give them a couple of days and call to find out if I could have an interview.

I was hired!!! And it was fun!

Since it was the only gas station on that corner and within a couple of miles, it was a very convenient place for people to stop for cigarettes, milk, gas (duh) and whatever else they craved at the moment. We had many, many regulars who we got to know - okay, got to know in the sense that we knew they were coming in for Marlboro Lights in a box and a candy bar...

Rozema's Standard was where I learned to come out of my shell with people I didn't know. It was easy to say hi to anyone who walked in the door when I was behind the counter. I didn't feel intimidated by anyone - this was my gas station, my counter. People were friendly back to me - there were no cliques, no cool people, we just were...

I also became a little more confident with myself while working there. I was not the most popular girl in school. After my relationship with Ben ended, I didn't date guys from my class. I had crushes, but none were returned. I did, however, date older guys that I met at the gas station. My job there was a huge confidence booster for me - even though I was not hot in demand by the guys that I went to school with, I had several OLDER guys that were interested in me and that really helped with my confidence - I didn't need to date the guys that I went to school with, I had many others to choose from.

Now Rozema's Standard is a BP (I think). In place of the garage with high school boys smoking Basic cigarettes and hanging around, there is a Subway. In place of the cute, flirty, high school girls behind the counter, there are regular people back there doing a regular job. Its just another gas station. But for a few years of my life it was MY gas station, I had MY parking spot, they were MY regulars, and I took steps to becoming me.

QOTD:

When thinking back to high school, can you identify one situation, one job, one friendship, one event that you see now as the beginning of you becoming you?

getting to know me in 100 days - day 17