MLL #8 Quit My Job

Talk about dead end jobs. I started working at Kohls towards the end of my senior year in high school. It was just supposed to be a summer job, but it ended up lasting four years. It wasn’t a bad job in the beginning, I was content. But I didn’t notice myself getting comfortable. Too comfortable. After 3 years I was working under an entirely new management team; a very chaotic and provocative management team. My contentment turned to misery but I was comfortable. Sometimes when you get too comfortable in a situation you settle for a life you never bargained for.

I added “Quit My Job” to My Life List about two years ago. Not because I felt like I was too good for the job, that wasn’t it. Not because the managers had no sense of respect, though they didn’t. Not because the pay was low and benefits few, though that was indeed the case. Not because almost all of my high school classmates shop there, see me and ask, “You still work here?”, though that did kill my self-respect a little each time. I’m lying actually. I added this to My Life List for all of these reasons and more.

In August (2010) I called the store to call out and my least favorite manager answered my call. When I told him that I wasn’t coming in he kind of threatened me. He threatened my job anyway. Then he put me on hold. And this was the sign, the hold music was ‘Say’ by John Mayer. So when my manager got back on the line I did as John Mayer instructed and I said everything I needed to say. My manager was taken aback and told me, “I think you’re going to regret this.” And I said, “I’ll take my chances.” It’s been 5 months since I quit and the only thing I regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. For a while I was broker than my usual broke but I got back a part of myself I had forgotten existed. And that’s priceless.