Walmart

When I applied to work at Walmart I was truly desperate for a job. I had applied to every bank in town. (I really wanted to be a teller.) Walmart was my, "well why the hell not" idea, before I resorted back to cafe work. The only place to call me back was Walmart. I got hired to work nights as a stocker. I can remember sitting around at home saying, "I don't want to work at fucking Walmart," the whole day before my first night, truly dreading what was coming. My feelings turned out to be both totally justified and completely incorrect.

I hate that I work at Walmart. The pay is pretty good for what I do and surprisingly I really enjoy the night shift gig. However I hate seeing people I know shopping while I'm working. I hate telling people what I do. I hate the social stigma that accompanies my source of income. Also, I hate the drama of the place. Honestly it's like being back in high school. There's cliques and rumors and this really weird hierarchy among the employees. Everyone is always talking crap behind their "friends" backs. Everyone dates each other. Honestly, I hate it. I don't want to be connected to most of those people. Some of them I dislike with such a passion I haven't known since I was like 16. The managers are all insane and no one can seem to just leave me alone to do my work. Everyone thinks they know more than everyone else and it feels like everyone has something to prove. All my usual daily complaints are completely different then what I was expecting them to be.

On the other side of things, some great stuff has come from my time there. Soon after I started work I began hanging out with some of my coworkers. It felt nice to be invited places with people I was just getting to know. They wanted me around, and I was flattered. I become close with one of the girls I worked along side with and that friendship just gets more interesting. I found a whole new party crew to drink and have fun with. That all doesn't happen as much as it used to but I've really enjoyed being a part of it. About a month after being there I was approached by someone I instantly knew belonged in my life. Being with Arthur may have gotten me "kicked out" of my original "new group" of "friends," but my relationship with him has made me cherish every turn in my life I was either forced to make or chose to make that lead me to the seemingly desperate moment filling out a Walmart employee application. Looking back at almost all my favorite memories from this past winter I realize none of them would have happened without that application.

Moral of the story?

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Don't knock it 'til you try it.

Good things come to those who wait.

"God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you." ?

One of those silly cliches.

And just so everyone knows, I am properly ashamed that I just wrote a blog post about Walmart.