I worked at a warehouse for about 2 months or so, and all I really did was throw boxes onto a conveyor belt. Easy work, but it was very very mundane. It's worth mentioning that I don't mind physical work, but I need to be stimulated mentally while doing physical work. So after the first couple weeks of my job I bring headphones.
Now, before I got them, I was told I was allowed to have them with me by at least 2 people. Yeah, there were signs up saying they were prohibited, but who am I going to listen to? A sign, or a higher up. So anyway, I bring them, and all is well. Sometimes I even find myself liking my job, because I get some kind of exercise in, and I get to listen to some podcasts. Not half bad and probably the closest thing to a “dream job.”
Well, eventually my supervisor starts enforcing the “no headphones” rule to me as well as the “no cellphones on the work site” rule. I comply until they leave. I can't work without those things. And there's no real negotiation with that for me.
If I'm allowed to sit with my thoughts, I'll go crazy.
So I comply, like I said. I only wear them in my work area, and I'm extremely cautious of any vehicles coming by. Mind you, these headphones aren't noise cancelling at all. I also work in an area where you can't not see me/I can't see vehicles.
So, the dream job crumbles when we're forced to work 10 hour days, with a day notice as well as an 6 hour shift Saturday. Maybe this is pretentious, but I have a life. I'm an artist, and creating is my life blood. Something I need to stay sane. I hate that I'm expected to give my days up for….money.
But I suck it up, and do it. Monster energy and protein bar, GO!
The day is normal. Except when I begin walking to my area, I forget that my headphones are still on and I get talked to by a random guy I've never seen before. He tells me that I can't wear my headphones unless I'm in Processing. (Different work area) I say okay and leave.
Well, eventually, I had no work to be done. And I'm tired. So I pull myself off into a corner and get on my phone. Sans headphones. Without a mask. Nobody is around me at all. In fact, I see nobody around me in general. I have my mask off because, I'm so upset about working so much that I get anxious and can't breathe, and I'm also on my phone to calm down.
Here comes Mr. Overzealous to pull me aside and list off everything I'm doing wrong….I try to explain to him what's going on but he says “We can talk in my office ” So I'm like okay…he's on a power trip, because we can't talk right here? Weird, but okay. We get to his office and he asks me to sit. I don't. Because fuck you. He asks for my badge and enters it into a computer and asks who my supervisor is. I tell him. He goes over to her and he comes back.
He starts telling me everything I did wrong again, and says I need training again. Now, I've been told I stare daggers at people. And I genuinely hate eye contact, so I'm staring down at his desk. Listening. Anticipating leaving. He says “Maybe next time, you can show respect and talk to someone when they're talking to you.”
I get annoyed because listen…. I know you're not going to talk to me. You're talking at me. There's a power dynamic and you're using it hard. Anything I say, will NOT matter. I say this to him. I say, “Can you just say what you have to say so i can go back?”
He gets upset and starts telling me that I'll get points against me. I obviously don't give a damn. I'm just waiting for this to be over. It's about 11:30 and I'd get off at 12….
He's rambling on and on and I'm getting tired and increasingly annoyed. I'm still not looking at him. He tells me that he senses that I'm being hostile and not liking my attitude…..I say something to the affect of, just send me back, so I can go stick my thumb up my ass. He says are you serious? I laugh. He gets up. Talks to my supervisor. And he says he's ending my contract and walks me out the door.
At this point…I'm annoyed at myself. Sure. But I was just complaining about that job. About how tedious it is. And how I can't see how anyone does that job without some kind of stimulation. I do miss it because it was easy work, but…. I don't know. I'm a creative. And I'm also going through a dark time in my life. I've been unemployed for about 2 weeks and honestly? Despite my life, I've been so happy doing art.