the many faces of me

The following was written from the prompt:  what kind of jobs have you had.





The many faces of me

By Lisa Ann Noe



I’m a complicated person, I have so many sides to me I have a history that kind of well zigzags off the chart.  I have done so many different things and usually, they all come to an end for some reason and a new project emerges.  I completed high school and a year of business college then I got married, within two years I had my first job---yes it took that long to get a job back in 1987.  I live in rural Kentucky and for a woman with only one year of business school,l there were not that many jobs available.  It would be my first job ever, other than babysitting, or mowing the lawn.    I worked for Loyall Baptist Church as the church secretary.  I really enjoyed it.  I worked only four hours a day five days a week, it was a good first job.  It didn’t pay much money but it was better than nothing. 

I did need something that paid a little better and that had more hours. Times were tough with just my husband’s salary.

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  I went to the Rental place downtown and was instantly hired to be the secretary /clerk for the furniture rental store.  I had many duties there, it was not an easy job and I was constantly being bugged by some man that watched me all of the time.  It kept me very nervous at work and soon I was dreading having to go to work every day.

My duties included collections, and I hated that so bad that I could not stand it.  I hated calling up these people and telling them we would take their stuff back if they did not come in and make a payment.  It is not in my nature to be confrontational.  My nerves were frayed terribly while working there.

Needless to say, I stayed there for a little more than a week.  I only received two weekly paychecks while working there. 

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I wanted to be a nurse after high school so I took some nursing classes at the local community  college I completed 1 and ½  semesters of college before realizing I could not go on due to financing and I just could not afford it, plus I lived a great distance away from the school and could not afford the transportation costs of driving two counties over twice a day.   



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I then took a job as a florist at a flower shop in Evarts, I thought this is something I can really like, I love creative endeavors.  I like making crafts, growing flowers, arranging flowers, and working in a store.  So this I thought would be an ideal job.  And I was right, I loved it I worked 12 hours a day 6 days week.  I worked there arranging flowers and selling my hand made crafts I catered flowers to funerals, weddings, and oh dear, school proms.  I truly enjoyed every bit of the job.    So what is the problem you may ask?  Well I worked for 6 straight weeks and got paid 0, yes I mean zero. The man who owned the business kept giving me one excuse after another. Telling me he wrecked his car and would be unable to get in to pay me, but would send me a check as soon as he transferred funds from his personal account into the business account.  And he kept coming up with excuses. Then he said he sent payment, but it never arrived then he sent an empty envelope. So I just finally gave up and quit.  He went out of business, turns out I was the only reason his business was doing any good anyway.

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My Next Job was my all-time favorite job, I worked as an on-air commentator and news-person for WHLN RADIO.  I loved that job although I never really realized it while I worked there, as it was nerve-wracking.

I read the news the sports the weather and did public service announcements and occasionally a live commercial.  I got to be a reporter as well as working on stories from the city council, school board, and talking to coaches.  The owners of the station were very nice people Whom I am indebted to for giving me such an opportunity.  I left the job sadly to take another job that was better paying and had better hours for less work.



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My final job was a good one as well, working as a staff writer/reporter for

The Harlan Daily Enterprise Newspaper.  I did the council meetings and had my own beat also did feature articles and investigative pieces such as a look at the health of the region due to smoking.  I interviewed people both politicians and musicians to do a story on them.  I had to leave this job for health reasons, I wish I could remain working, I don’t like being without a job. It makes me sad. 



So you see I've had a lot of faces from being a clerk, a student nurse, a secretary, a reporter/staff writer and a radio announcer even a florist and craftsman. I've had all of these trials of different employments my favorite was the radio job. These employments spreads over the last 30 years.  UH OH I just told how old I am.