My First Job and What I Learned From It

My first job was at McDonald's, starting in late 1977.  I was there for almost 5 years.  It got me through college with a little cash, my first apartment, and gas in my car.

I was there when McNuggets first came out.  I remember what a huge big deal it was.  They had to put in additional deep fryers so the chicken wouldn't taste like fish or French fries.  We had a training class on the proper preparation and presentation.  I fell in love with them then, and I still love them today!  (And yes, I know what's in them.)

The biggest life lesson I learned from McDonald's stemmed from a motto they had at the time--"If you have time to lean, you have time to clean."  That meant no standing around doing nothing.  You could flirt with the cute guy working the grill area, but you'd better have a wet rag in your hand, wiping down some of the chrome!  That expectation to be doing something constructive ALL THE TIME became second nature after awhile.  It has served me well as an entrepreneur working for myself and by myself.  There are always dozens of things that need to be done every day in my handcrafted jewelry business.  I can't say that I'm the most organized person in the world, but I am pretty good about not wasting too much valuable time when I'm supposed to be working!  (Well, aside from Facebook, but that's another story!)  'Cuz if I don't do it, it don't get done!  And even if it don't get done--after 29 years of self-employment, that still happens sometimes--I always try to do the other thing I learned from working at McDonald's, and that's SMILE!

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