Events In Life

The events of a person’s life can shape the way they think, behave, and see the rest of the world. Whether the experience was pleasant or not has a significant impact on how it affects that person’s mindset moving forward. Depending on how the person perceives such events, it could be looked back on as a funny moment they’re glad they remembered. In other cases, it could be a bitter reminder they wish they had forgotten. In my case, I have plenty of bitter reminders that I wish I had the pleasure of forgetting. Much like how an optimist has their experiences that give them a brighter outlook on life, there are several key events in my lifetime that have shaped me into a hardened pessimist. It was spring of 2008, near the end of seventh grade.

A month after settling in, I decided it was time to get to work and find a job. I applied to every store and business I could find, but because I was fresh out of high school with little experience, I rarely got called for job interviews. In the off-chance I did get an interview, I would get nervous and crack under pressure. It took three years of failed interviews and volunteer work, but in the holiday season of 2016 I finally landed my first job: a part-time seasonal position at Toys R Us. More than anything, I was determined to work my hardest to keep this job for as long as I possibly could. I did my absolute helping coworkers, assisting customers and covering shifts for anyone who couldn’t make it. At one point the assistant manager even gave me a pat on the back for my hard work, and said he was hoping I would be kept full-time once the season ended. I thought for sure I had achieved my goal, but soon that wouldn’t be the case. As Christmas drew near, the hours I was scheduled to work started to dwindle. Three to five days a week slowly turned into one or two days a week. My last day of work was New Year’s Day, but I didn’t know that at the time. The following week I never received my next schedule in the mail, so I called the store to check if I still had a job. The assistant manager picked up, and said that everyone who was staying after the holiday season had already been interviewed. Since I didn’t get an interview, that meant I was out of a job. After all the hard work and time that I put into this job just to be let go without warning, I was furious. Once my fit of rage had subsided, it was time to get back to work and find a new job. Despite my efforts I remained jobless through most of the year, but eventually I was hired for Toys R Us again for the following holiday