Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
At the beginning of this year, I would have described myself as introverted and dependent. I was confined in my own sheltered bubble and was overly optimistic to the point where I was easily offended and unrealistic. I was naïve and took success for granted, not understanding that it was something I had to go above and beyond to achieve. It was not until my first job at a fast food restaurant in an amusement park that I truly began to mature.
My first day of work happened to fall on Memorial Day - notorious for being one of the busiest days of the year. I was shy and nervous, but I tried my best and did what I was told. That day, I was cursed and yelled at more times than I had ever been before. While in some cases, the customer's anger was due to a mistake I had made, I realized that for the most part, the customer's irritation was simply a culmination of his circumstances. After all, it is difficult not to grow impatient when surrounded by noisy, hungry children in a hot, confined space. Just on that first day, I learned two important lessons - do not take insults personally and always put yourself in the other person's shoes.
Throughout this job, I also learned that I am both physically and socially capable of more than I think. Despite my relative lack of arm muscle and height of four foot eleven, I discovered that I can, although with difficulty, lift a ten pound bucket of ice over my head and into the soda machine. And in spite of my low tolerance for pain, I now know that I can still function after dipping my fingers in a five hundred degree fryer. However, the most important capability that I became aware of was my ability to make friends. I never thought that I would be able to become real friends with complete strangers in an unfamiliar setting, and I was afraid that I would be very lonely in the future. Now, the co-workers whom I thought would never be more than acquaintances have become friends that I regularly meet up with, showing me that my paranoia was in vain.
My short-lived career has taught me that just because others succeed does not mean that there is less success for me. To test how well the staff is working, the company sends "secret shoppers" to evaluate us. If a worker meets all the expectations, he is given the treasured Best Day Promise Award and a funnel cake. As the months passed, I became anxious that I would never receive a secret shopper and grew jealous of everyone who already had. Finally on my last day, a secret shopper unexpectedly tested me, and I passed. As my co-workers and I shared my sweet funnel cake, I realized that there is no need to be bitter over someone else's victory. As long as I work hard and do not give up, then I have a chance to succeed.
Although many people around me treated my job at a fast food restaurant as inferior, it taught me more life lessons than any internship or summer class ever could have. What I thought would be an easy way to earn money, has transformed and impacted me in more ways than I could have imagined. This simple, minimum-wage job has given me a much-needed confidence boost. It has shown me that I am capable if only I persevere and believe in myself. To me, an adult is someone who makes responsible choices keeping in mind not only himself, but also those around him. Of course I still have much maturing to do, however, my first job has allowed me to take my first giant leap towards adulthood.
At the beginning of this year, I would have described myself as introverted and dependent. I was confined in my own sheltered bubble and was overly optimistic to the point where I was easily offended and unrealistic. I was naïve and took success for granted, not understanding that it was something I had to go above and beyond to achieve. It was not until my first job at a fast food restaurant in an amusement park that I truly began to mature.
My first day of work happened to fall on Memorial Day - notorious for being one of the busiest days of the year. I was shy and nervous, but I tried my best and did what I was told. That day, I was cursed and yelled at more times than I had ever been before. While in some cases, the customer's anger was due to a mistake I had made, I realized that for the most part, the customer's irritation was simply a culmination of his circumstances. After all, it is difficult not to grow impatient when surrounded by noisy, hungry children in a hot, confined space. Just on that first day, I learned two important lessons - do not take insults personally and always put yourself in the other person's shoes.
Throughout this job, I also learned that I am both physically and socially capable of more than I think. Despite my relative lack of arm muscle and height of four foot eleven, I discovered that I can, although with difficulty, lift a ten pound bucket of ice over my head and into the soda machine. And in spite of my low tolerance for pain, I now know that I can still function after dipping my fingers in a five hundred degree fryer. However, the most important capability that I became aware of was my ability to make friends. I never thought that I would be able to become real friends with complete strangers in an unfamiliar setting, and I was afraid that I would be very lonely in the future. Now, the co-workers whom I thought would never be more than acquaintances have become friends that I regularly meet up with, showing me that my paranoia was in vain.
My short-lived career has taught me that just because others succeed does not mean that there is less success for me. To test how well the staff is working, the company sends "secret shoppers" to evaluate us. If a worker meets all the expectations, he is given the treasured Best Day Promise Award and a funnel cake. As the months passed, I became anxious that I would never receive a secret shopper and grew jealous of everyone who already had. Finally on my last day, a secret shopper unexpectedly tested me, and I passed. As my co-workers and I shared my sweet funnel cake, I realized that there is no need to be bitter over someone else's victory. As long as I work hard and do not give up, then I have a chance to succeed.
Although many people around me treated my job at a fast food restaurant as inferior, it taught me more life lessons than any internship or summer class ever could have. What I thought would be an easy way to earn money, has transformed and impacted me in more ways than I could have imagined. This simple, minimum-wage job has given me a much-needed confidence boost. It has shown me that I am capable if only I persevere and believe in myself. To me, an adult is someone who makes responsible choices keeping in mind not only himself, but also those around him. Of course I still have much maturing to do, however, my first job has allowed me to take my first giant leap towards adulthood.