Last spring, my mother gave me the daunting, long-awaited task of any 16-year-old: get a summer job. I was pretty enthusiastic about the matter, considering I would be rolling in bank come August, so I agreed. I didn’t really want to spend a long time thinking about the endeavor, so I applied online to our very own Price Chopper just down the road. After a couple awkward phone calls and interviews, I got the job as a sacker and started in April. 

The job itself was pretty standard. Most of my tasks included sacking, cleaning, corralling carts and doing price checks, along with the occasional odd job here and there. You could find me at the end of the register with a red bowtie and a yawn on my face.

I met all different types of people, from the Yale women’s track team to the suburban wine moms who enlightened me on the perfect sangria. Every single shift was a new experience. The people made me laugh, but they also helped me cultivate my customer service skills. Talking to people became my favorite part and sometimes I even got tipped for it.

While talking is my strong suit, I’m not going to deny anything — I’m a nerd. I play chemistry trivia in my free time, spend my weekends binge watching “The Men Who Built America,”  not to mention I tripped over a hurdle in 7th grade track. What was I doing trying to lift a 20 lb propane tank out of a cage? Why was I speed racing heavy grocery bags to someone’s car?

The answer is that I had never experienced anything like it. Somehow, pushing 10 carts in the pouring rain became an actual accomplishment, instead of just a muscle monster’s waste of time. And while I’ll probably never take Strength and Conditioning, I appreciated sculpting out my calves.

Alas, the job wasn’t perfect. There were slackers and rude customers. Some of my coworkers got on my last nerve, but that can happen at any job. There will always be people complaining about expired coupons, but you have to learn to live with it and move on. All in all, I had fun, made money and learned a lot. A summer job is not going to be the best experience of your life, but it is worthwhile. Thank you, Price Chopper, for opening my eyes to the real world. I truly did sack with pride.