Sitting on the Banks of the River of Humanity

In addition to many other duties at my job, I am also the receptionist. This means I am the first one to answer the phone, and that my desk is the one in front of the reception window. What happens is, I try to get as much work done as possible in between phone calls and people coming to the window. On Mondays after the help wanted ads come out in the Sunday papers, the lobby can get particularly crowded. And since we are in manufacturing and use a lot of laborers in addition to skilled workers, people from all walks of life come in and apply for jobs. And I mean ALL walks of life! I enjoy seeing all the people and marvel at the things they say and do. Most of them ask me for an application, even though they are standing right next to the stand full of them. Then they ask me for a pen. Then when they turn in the application they ask me to sign their work release form from the jail proving they looked for work. Or they will ask me if we drug test, all the while reeking of pot. Even with all that, most people are very nice and polite. One guy this week had an awesome mullet. And today a man came in and he had a wiry gray hair sticking out of his ear that was at least six inches long! You don't see that every day! So even though the many interruptions can be frustrating at times, I am grateful for the river of humanity that passes by my window and keeps me connected to the rest of the world.