My first "real" full time job was I guess kind of an odd one; rain gutter installer. I was 19 and worked for a newly started company run by a loud, larger than life character who was a dead ringer for Peter Falk (anyone remember "Columbo"?) I was employee number four, the rookie, and low man on the crew. Yeah, I was sent to get the sky hook, the aluminum stretcher, the "left handed" B elbow ("Nah, that ain't it. The seam's gotta be on the other side. Go look again.") and on and on. Except for our boss who was in his mid-30s, we were all around my age and it was an informal shop to say the least; work hard, play hard. My job interview was two questions: "You like girls?" Aced that one. "You smoke pot?" Ah, well...plead the 5th on that one. Hey, I was 19 and it was the early 1970s. Everyone got a nickname. Our lead guy was "Ace", number two was "Studly Do-Wrong" and he gave me mine; "Greg Baby" or GB for short, I guess because I had long hair and he figured I was a hippie or something. Maybe I was, but I was a working hippie.
The first time that the job site (for me at least) was one of those big three story Victorians ("Wait...you want me to climb up there?!") I was heartened by the boss' words of wisdom.
"Don't worry, the fall ain't gonna hurt ya. It's the sudden stop that does ya in."
My buddies back in the neighborhood had fun with my new profession. "Spent the day layin' in the gutter again, didn't ya?" "Hey, get your mind outta the gutter." It's good to have friends.
I did that type of work for about 15 years, although I only worked for that first company for two of them. Most fun place I've ever worked. I don't usually look back to those days, but if I do it always makes me smile.