worklife – Page 25 – Journey Home

MOUNT VERNON— While test driving a 1997 Subaru Legacy Outback along the Cedar River Road, the river looked ready to jump its banks and flood the pavement. With the ground still frozen from winter, the recent rain had nowhere to go, and a river that was near empty a few weeks ago was now flowing strong with the runoff. The soil needs moisture, but so do the arterial waterways of North America. With a sense of new hope, I bought the car.

One never knows about a used car. Will it last? Will it break down? Will parts be available? How much more should be invested in repairs when needed? My decision to buy a used car was based less on these questions— given my budget, a new car was not an option. The local car dealer web sites had little in the price range I wanted to spend, so for convenience sake, I upped the budget rather than spending time to find a cheaper alternative. The trade-in Outback was well used, but everything appeared to work, and the wagon space will prove to be useful. The dealership delivered it to our home last night around 5 p.m.

This car is a beater. It is not intended for long trips, but for getting around the community to run errands. A reliable vehicle is essential to finding and getting to work, and easing some of the challenges of being a one-car family when both of us are still active. To the extent a car represents one’s personality, it will take me some time to getting used to a red vehicle. But I can already imagine myself as an Outback kind of guy.

CEDAR RAPIDS— The temp agency takes applications from 8 until 11 a.m., Tuesday through Thursday, so today was the day to show up. From the calls the person at the counter took while doing my paperwork, they seem to have work. It’s a reason for being there. I brought my citizenship papers and spent the hour filling out forms. For the effort, I received a new hire booklet.

I had no idea what to expect. My last job search was in 1984. Based on the questions asked during the application process, the fact that I have good work habits, don’t do drugs, don’t want to get into a fight over my manhood, haven’t been injured on the job and generally follow the rules in someone else’s world, will give me an edge. She said three times or more they opened at 6 a.m. and it was important to sign in in person until they got to know me. I’ll be there tomorrow at 5:55 a.m. to see what happens.

There are a lot of questions that could be asked, but when a person needs paying work, those get pushed into the background. I agreed to a background check, to release my medical records, to arbitration in some disputes, but not all, in lieu of litigation. I completed forms on a Palm device, on paper, and into a computer. I signed my name more than a dozen times. When we are not doing paid work and need it, there is a lot to which we might agree.

What is a person worth? I decided at least $9 per hour. Partly because while my mother believes me to be special, most other people don’t put extra value on another day laborer. Also because that’s what they pay for the job I saw on the Workforce Development web site. I may be worth more, but I have no bargaining position yet.

Over the coming days and weeks, I should have fresh insight into the phrase “all in a day’s work.” I am looking forward to this experience.