At fifteen, many of my friends were getting part-time jobs, so I decided to look for one too. My hometown was almost entirely small businesses.
Since I loved music, I ventured into Johnny’s Music Box and filled out an application.
Johnny knew me from the time I’d been in fourth grade, when I’d shyly approached him to see what instrument I might like for band.
He’d let me try them all before settling on the clarinet. He’d then seen me month after month as my parents made payments.
Now, I was seeking a job.
I was soon behind the counter that ran almost the full length of one side of the store.
My job included dusting the instruments (carefully) and making sure the racks of albums were orderly.
Once a week, I rearranged the top twenty 45 records—finding out ahead of time what the number one song of the week was.
These were the days of vinyl, and AM/FM radio. Little did we know it wouldn’t last.
But what was lasting, were the skills I learned—customer service, timeliness, and being attentive to the duties—all for $2.00 an hour.
There are millions of small businesses across America giving teens a chance to get started in their work life.
These first jobs give us skills we didn’t know we needed and couldn’t learn otherwise.
And our work becomes part of the big machine that keeps America running.
Supporting local businesses helps everyone—from teens in starter jobs to those who make business ownership their life’s calling. This is the America we love.
Photos: Mick Haupt and National-archief on Unsplash.