My 1st Image of Work Was...

My 1st image of work was "independence". I felt everyone who had a job was on their own in the world with no one to rely on. And since at school, the teachers were nuts shouting and yelling at students for just about every single thing I felt having a job would establish that same horrible experience of a teacher-student relationship between boss and employee.

My mother, a secretary and technician at the time, often had to take me with her to work because I hated the thought of having a babysitter. I would watch how other people do their jobs at their offices.

It was very boring.

The other workers would rush outside and back with lunch and share some with me even though I didn't know who they were. I colored pictures and drew until I felt sick at the thought of seeing paper. I got sleepy easily because the workplace was always cold.

The only good point was that I got the chance to spend the whole day on the computer looking at pictures of shows I liked such as "Dragon Ball Z", "Sailor Moon", and so on.

This view is the only experience I obtained.
However, even back then I knew I only had the chance to do those things because I'm not the one my mother's boss hired to complete a job. I saw how boring and dull it was not being able to do what you wanted, having to sit in one place all day, having to work the same way you would do your homework after school, and how tense everyone was to get their work done just to come back the very next day.

Such a scene put a lot of fear into me when I was younger. And seeing how many people complain about the work-world doesn't make things better. I suppose it depends on the actual job. If you like secretarial work (though i've yet to know anyone who does) it wouldn't be as much as a bother. Plus you'd be getting paid and you would have days off too.

Though this is a pretty image of the work life. Some people don't end up with the jobs they want. Some people end up having kids and end up in tight positions. Many things go wrong for many people.

But as I was taught in school, you just have to do it.
There are many things people don't want to do. But it has to be done anyway.
It's a bleak thought going from "I'll graduate from school some day." to "I'll see you next week." at a work place for the rest of your life.

Moving on from that thought process.

My mother explained to me that there are certain qualities of childhood that don't last forever. Being able to sit down at home doing nothing instead of working is a big "no". And being responsible and independent is needed to get by. However, that doesn't mean you have to change.

The media has this imprinted image of how adults should be and it scares many people. Especially teenagers. Even though they want to cling to youth, to keep up with the others who have accepted the media's image, they begin to change too.

Well being adult doesn't mean parties all day and it doesn't mean taking care of kids. There are many options available from the decisions people make in their lives.

She also explained to me, as mentioned before, that there are many jobs and everyone will find at least an idea of what they want to be. No one is born knowing.

Well my idea of the workplace from when I was young, through her guidance, has indeed changed.

I used to fear college life thinking every single student there was a drunk or someone who would yell at me like my teachers in middle school did towards the other students.
Not to brag, but I'm not the delinquent type so..
There probably are drunks and so on, because college is a place filled with adults. But judging all of them by what is shown in movies and past teachers who engraved fear into our minds isn't a good idea either.

I guess what I'm saying is college (as well as elementary-mid school) is practice for the job life. It's not there to change you into a living drama, but to give you the options and abilities needed to take care of yourself and those close to you.

Seeing how college life REALLY is, the work-life (depending on life situations) may not be as bad as I thought it would be.

My mom talked about her job as a business she opened. And in a business you have to please the customer. And the people she work for, she sees them as customers. And even though she doesn't like the job, she's getting paid for her work and experience. So she does her best to keep her job going.

I will try to see work in that light too rather than something scary.