Letter: Putting food on the table

To the Editor:

As I hear about the jobs situations, I can't help but reminisce of my own past job experiences. It was 1970, unemployment in the teens, bag boy jobs, vacuum cleaner sales jobs were even sought after. Two hundred guys were in line for a bag boy job in Kansas City, which I failed to get (damn eggs!). Next, the quest for the elusive vacuum cleaner salesman job.

When I was asked at the interview how much I expected to make per hour, I replied, "Three dollars." The interviewer said, "Get out. That's not enough. Next!"

Then off to the railroad. Failed because of a slight eye problem.

Next the telephone company. Same eye problem.

Finally, Armours Meat Packing hired me. At 19 years old, 6 feet 2 inches, weighing in at 138 pounds, I became a beef lugger. Putting 250-pound beef quarters on my shoulder and carrying them in to railroad box cars.

It was a pay check, and it put food on the table. When people used the old saying "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger," they weren't kidding.

I can't help but wonder if the job search today, for putting food on the table, is the same as it was 40 years ago.

Tony Huppert

Spring Valley, Wis.

Tags: opinion, letters