Randy's Ramblings

January 31, 2025

I clocked out from a regular work shift tonight for what I hope, and almost certainly is, the last time.

Ever.

There has never been a career, just a series of jobs. Some good, some not so good, one bad, and one absolutely horrible.

I have told the story of what was to be my first, albeit temporary, job before. Mom was managing a local furniture store. She needed someone to fill in for a delivery man who had left for what he thought was greener pastures until she could hire a permanent replacement. She offered the temporary position to me. Her former delivery man’s first shift at his new job, night watchman at a local retail store was the Sunday night before the Monday I was to start. After the first night the former furniture delivery man decided that night watchman was a poor vocational choice for him. He called mom before I had even gotten out of bed wanting his job back. Although I did work that day, I was essentially fired before I even got out of bed.

After that……..

I tried the military. It seemed like a good idea to a naive 18 year old fresh out of high school. It wasn’t. The end of it came six months early and it still wasn’t soon enough.

Next up was a local manufacturing plant. OK, not great, but I never planned staying when I hired on, so the whole experience was kind of neutral. It did give me my first taste of a union shop. I didn’t much care for it.

Then, the summer of 75. No concerns past how much food would be needed before the next resupply, how many miles to walk each day, and whether or not I would be walking those miles in rain.

After that came a collection of poorly paid jobs for local contractors, another manufacturing job where I was laid off about as often as I was working for the first several years, and finally, after the manufacturing job ceased to exist, back to poorly paid jobs for local contractors, and, finally, the Final Four.

The first of the Final Four, the fabrication department at Batesville Casket, was hands down, nothing else ever came remotely close, the worst workplace I ever experienced. After almost five years I took a $500 a month pay cut to tell them to take their job and shove it.

The second of the Final Four was working in maintenance at The Lincoln Centers, a local long term healthcare facility. Of all the places worked and jobs held it was my favorite. Great coworkers, interesting, because no two days were ever the same, and a long stream of unforgettable residents who made my life a little richer for having known them. For most of the time I was there, if I’d won the lottery I would have happily continued to work there for nothing.

And then, The Lincoln Centers was sold to a company in Florida. Things went downhill quickly. The job was less secure with each passing day, and along with a few other issues, working there wasn’t as much fun anymore. What seemed like a better opportunity came along and I took it. 

Enter number three of the Final Four. The second worse employer I ever worked for.

Ohio Valley Gas. There are too many negatives to list. After almost eleven years it all came to a head one Friday morning. Afterwards, I drove around for a little while doing some service orders that could be done without bothering customers, and returned to the office where I told the District manager to put me down for two weeks vacation starting Monday. On the Monday they expected me back, the manager found my keys, company ID, and a two page letter saying what could have been said in a number of different three word combinations waiting on his desk. Admittedly a poor way to leave a place of employment, but better than the company or manager deserved.

I was unemployed but eligible for Social Security. Not the normal method of entering retirement, but good enough for the moment. 

I tried to fill in the missing sections of Appalachian Trail. My body said no after a little less than three weeks.

The following year I attempted to celebrate birthday #65 by bicycling from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. I almost made it, but stopped about sixty miles short at Harpers Ferry, WV due to mechanical problems. 

I attended three Eastern Rendezvous, at least one Southeastern Rendezvous, and a number of smaller events.

In December of 2021, I decided it might be a good idea to work for a few more years while I still could. Remembering how much I had loved the job at Lincoln Centers and how everything else had run the gauntlet from so so to outright seething hatred, I only applied for long term healthcare maintenance jobs.

Among those I applied for was an opening for a maintenance assistant for Majestic Care, the business that had purchased the old Lincoln Centers. I thought I had a pretty good chance there because my resume mentioned my previous employment, things accomplished, and volunteer work after I had left. Unfortunately, at 69, I didn’t even rate an interview.

Friends Fellowship Community was unique in today’s work place because they really didn’t practice age discrimination. A phone interview, a face to face interview, and I was back in the workplace. It has been all that I could have hoped for. Good coworkers in all departments, good employer, and great friends among the residents. 

I have stayed a little under two months past three years. There has been only one negative I can think of, and it involves part of the building design. It’s kind of a PIA for everyone. 

Were it not for my body in general, and my knees in particular, I probably would have stayed at least one more year and possibly two. But, like it or not, it’s time to leave. Not just for me, but for an employer who has been good to me. I’m no longer capable of doing the same quality of work.

If I had it to do all over again, I would hope that my entire working life could be spent as maintenance in a long term healthcare facility. It’s been fun, and as much as I’m going to enjoy having every day for myself and not making an hour and a half round trip commute to work, I’m going to miss it.