Summer Jobs

By seasonal demand: Here is an encore posting of Ken's reflection on summer jobs.

KenSk8r It's that wonderful time of year again, when a young person's thoughts flee from homework, tests and classrooms. Yes, it's SUMMER! Time for sleeping in, going to the beach, and chillin' with friends! And, as many parents might add, it's time to look for a job.

Summer job! Those two words might strike fear into the hearts of some teenagers who would prefer to emphasize the word vacation after the word "summer." But with today's reality of both parents working, the prospect of a high schooler sitting around the house all day for three months is not parentally appealing.

My first summer job was at my parish. I basically shadowed the custodian and assisted him in clean-up and repairs around the church and school. So, my three months of summer were filled stripping and waxing classroom floors, painting rooms in the convent and, that bane of human existence, scrubbing toilets. Oh, joy!

I changed my sarcastic tune after my first paycheck. I had never before been in possession of such personal wealth. My pastor, a gruff but kindly old guy, wisely dismissed the teen staffers every day at 3:00pm so we could still enjoy our summer. He always gave us our Friday checks with his timeless counsel: "Don't spend it all in one place!"

Obviously, having a job yields a monetary reward. Money is good, when spent wisely. There is a sense of pride in not having to ask mom or dad for money to buy a new video game, or to go out with friends. My parents also insisted that I open a savings account, a lifelong habit for which I am eternally grateful. But, money aside, there are important benefits to be obtained just from the very act of doing work.

A summer job is a preview of adult life ahead, when the majority of one's time will be spent in the workplace. Valuable experience will be gained in the areas of responsibility, teamwork, personal discipline, and relating with customers, co-workers and supervisors. This alone is worth the effort it takes to find summer employment.

A summer job is an opportunity for a young person to test out different fields of work that will help influence the decision for a future career. I have friends who had several different jobs over the course of their four years of high school, all of which ultimately pointed them toward a particular college and career path. One friend had a fast-food restaurant job that he hated but endured for the sake of earning money to fund his love for auto mechanics. He was always working on cars and was never happy unless he was covered with grease. Now he owns his own auto shop and credits his fast-food gig as a learning experience that helped him understand the importance of good customer service.

Ultimately, a summer job can be our first entry into a larger world beyond the comfortable confines of family and friends. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, D.C. said, "As we perform our work, our contribution to the continuation of God's creation, we need to recognize that even the simplest thing we do can be a contribution to the common good. The decisions we make at work can in small ways help shape the fabric and ethics of our society."

All this might seem like heady stuff if the only thing you're doing is scrubbing toilets! Hopefully, this helps us to put our work in a larger perspective. Want to help make the world a better place? Get a summer job! Really! Because when we are busy and engaged and relating with fellow human beings in service to each other, our lives take on a little more dignity as we share in the Great Work of our Creator God.

Yeah, the money is good, too. Just don't spend it all in one place!

Song for reflection while working: Come to the Water arranged by Matt Maher