Help Wanted – But Am I A Good Fit?

For the past month, there were rumors that my husband’s company was going through another round of layoffs.   So, me being the worry wart, started to look for another part-time job. I put my name in a lot of different places, but no one called.  I got discouraged thinking no one wanted to hire me. And why should they? I don’t think there is much demand for a flippy writer with less than negative corporate experience. However, I was on my way back from some Christmas shopping at a nearby mall when I saw a “Help Wanted” sign at an Adult Video Store. It also said, “ Great hourly wage. NO experience necessary.  ”

I thought, “Hm. That’s me”, so I pulled my car into the parking lot and went in.
May I just say this?  “Holy Crap!”  Captain Kirk personally beaming me up to the Starship Enterprise would be less shocking to me than seeing what I saw in this store. There were naked things everywhere. As an adult video store – one would think videos would be on shelves and put away neatly and discreetly, right?  Wrong!  There was a lot of other stuff besides videos and nothing was put away; everything was out in the open.

Anyway, I didn’t have time to escape without being seen because it was during the day and apparently, not many people shop for that kind of stuff during work hours, and so this nice man, who turned out to be the manager, came up and asked if I needed help, and all I could stammer was  “N-n-no, I am good.”

And he said, “Are you looking for something special? Some toys?”

And that caught me off guard because I had just come from the Disney Store and I don’t think he meant the same type of toys and well… I thought I was going to throw up from nervousness, but I didn’t.  I found my composure and blurted out about the help wanted sign and he laughed and said,

“Ah, well, it’s just cashier work really and stocking the shelves. It’s pretty quiet during the day and no one will know you and if they do, you have more on them then they have on you.”

And that made a lot of sense. At least I would be working to help my family, but someone coming in as a customer was into sex stuff – not that there is anything wrong with that – but they would know that I know that they were customers in that store.

I told the manager that I didn’t think the job was for me, and he understood. But he said if I changed my mind, the door was always open which was funny because none of their windows looked open; they all had shutters. He also said it would be nice to have someone classy looking behind the register.  I guess that was a compliment.   I have to admit that I sort of feel a bit guilty. This man was very nice—nicer than a lot of the people who I talked to about a job. But I still didn’t think I could proudly tell people where I worked if I took that position. I know I couldn’t tell my father.  And I also thought what I made in wages, I might spend in Purell.

Well, I hope the manager finds someone to fill that scheduling slot.  Maybe I’ll tell my 64-year-old neighbor. She was looking for something exciting to do now that she is retired.  This might be just what she needs.