Sunday Journaling 3/12/06

A journaling prompt from Nikki

Talk about your first job. What did you do? How much money did you get paid?

I was 14 when I got my first job. It was my freshman year of high school, and after earning a varsity letter in soccer that fall, I wanted to get a letter jacket. I don't remember how much they cost (wool jacket with custom embroidery), but they were fairly expensive, and my parents didn't have the money to spend on that.

There aren't a whole lot of job opportunities for a 14 year old. So, I went with what I knew. I had been taking ceramics classes at the local girls club for several years, and I asked the instructor if I could work there, helping out with the classes for the younger kids. She agreed, and I started with the next session of classes.

My job was basically setup and cleanup for each class. I would cut out cubes of clay using a wire, slicing out slabs then dividing them up. I'd put scrap clay in the scrap bucket at the end of the class, making sure there was enough water in the bucket to keep the clay moist. I'd also tent up in plastic any thrown items, so that they'd still be a bit moist the following week, so the students could trim the base on the wheel and give their bowls a foot.

The best part about these classes was near the end, when everyone got to glaze their pieces. I always loved seeing the glazes transform from milky coatings to deep shiny colors after firing. I still have several of my own pieces around, although I haven't thrown any pieces since about that time.

I don't remember how much money I made. It wasn't much, but I did earn enough to buy my own letter jacket. I took great care of it, it was the most expensive thing I had ever bought with my own money. In fact, it's still hanging in my closet.