Chapter 2: The Importance of Work
On a milder Saturday afternoon than last weekend, my best friend, Erica Homeson and I met up with my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri at their apartment in Oakland. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted me. "I have a special request for you three," Erica chimed in. "What exactly is that, Erica?" Sarah asked. "Why don't you guys assist me in helping Angel get ready to look for a job once she graduates from Edinboro University this May?" Erica asked. "Absolutely," James agreed. "We would love to do that. As a matter of fact, why don't we come into our living room and we can talk about it?" Erica and I then followed Sarah, James, and Henri into the living room. "Would you ladies like a snack or a drink, or both?" James offered. "How about some soda and nuts?" I then asked. James got out some nuts and soda for all of us to eat. "Speaking of jobs, we are applying for a job ourselves," Henri informed us. "What type of job is that?" I asked. "We want to be camp counselors at Woodland Summer Camp in Wexford, Pennsylvania for this upcoming summer, Angel," Sarah told me. "Ah, how I love summer!" James happily stated. "It's my favorite season." "Why is summer your favorite season, James?" Erica asked. "Well, besides my birthday in June, there is sunset at 9:00 pm, firing up the grill, sitting on the patio drinking an ice cold beverage, eating a juicy watermelon, pop-up thunderstorms, the smell of fresh cut grass, and summer vacation," James explained. "And let's not forget baseball games!" He then paused for a second. "I remember taking Sarah and Angel to a baseball game at my high school as a freshman." "That was lots of fun, James," Sarah agreed. "Yeah, thanks for taking us," I agreed. "You're welcome," James replied. "I still think that we should go to a Pirates game for my birthday next summer!" "I don't want to think about summer right now," Sarah told me. "Why not?" I asked her. "Last summer was not the best because it was extremely hot almost every day, almost like that unseasonably hot day we experienced at the end of spring one year when you, James, and Henri sold lemonade, and I was stuck inside doing geography homework," Sarah explained. "You were not stuck in there," I reminded her. "It was your decision to stay inside because you hate hot weather." "I wonder if we will get another hot summer this year," James stated. "I would not mind getting a summer job as a camp counselor because of that!" "Could we order Chinese food too at camp like we did that day when it was too hot to even cook dinner?" Henri asked. "I think we have to eat camp food at camp," James told Henri. "I probably wouldn't be able to wear a sundress and sandals every day as a camp counselor," Sarah remembered. "I would have to wear an appropriate counselor's uniform." "I still thought you looked pretty even when you were trying to stay cool," I told my friend. "I wonder if cabins also have air conditioning," Henri chimed in, "so we do not have trouble sleeping at night." "They probably do, Henri," James replied. "Besides trying to stay cool in the heat at your job, can you guys tell me some reasons why it is important to work any time of year, not just in the summertime?" "Mainly, people work to make money as well as gain their own independence," Erica replied. "You can also learn important skills, how to maintain your job, and contribute to society," Sarah added. "You can learn about flexibility, freedom, and neutralizing conflict," James added. "Working is also a great way to meet people, make friends, and get more things done," Henri then added. "Now, those are all good reasons that people work," I told my friends. "So tell me, what are your hopes and goals for your potential new summer job?" "I want to learn and practice how to be flexible and not angry on the job," Henri told me. "I want to learn how to be a more independent problem solver," James told me. "I want to learn how to ask for help," Sarah told me. "Talk about selling lemonade on a hot summer day," Erica chimed in. "I would need to learn how to adjust to that if I were selling it with you, James, and Henri. I would have much rather helped you with geography homework, Sarah!" "I see what you mean, Erica," Sarah agreed. "And have some of that delicious Chinese food for dinner," I remembered. "Speaking of which, weren't you guys supposed to cook a meal for us tonight?" "We don't have enough food to cook right now, Angel," James explained to me. "So, we are going out to the Pleasure Bar in Bloomfield for dinner tonight." "The Pleasure Bar?" I asked. "I was just there yesterday with my mom and sister." "It's just about time for us to leave now, Angel," Erica told me. "My older sister, Eva is making burgers for dinner tonight." "All right," I replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye, Angel!" Sarah told me. "Have a good evening!"