Traditionally the supermarket employs Porters from both ends of the age spectrum, there's the over 50's who are just hanging in waiting 'til they can get their old age pension , then there's the college students who are portering to earn a bit of pocket money to subsidise themselves while they are at college.
Lately we have a good set of kids doing portering duties and we always have a chat and a laugh especially as they know my daughter Bella from when she worked on the tills.
Yesterday one such 18 year old lad came in out of uniform,looking quite different in his day clothes (A bit Goth looking) with dyed black hair, earrings galore and could be perceived as a bit scary looking at first glance.
He was in an upbeat mood and we exchanged pleasanteries. "Are you enjoying the fine weather"? I asked
"Yes", he said "and i'm looking forward to an even better few days as I won't be at work this weekend".
"Are you not"? I asked "Are you doing anything special"?
On hearing this question he produced a short article from his pocket
'SPIN' WIN BON JOVI SUPPORT COMPETION!
Yorkshire band 'Spin' have won the Virgin radio Bon Jovi competition with a cover version of "In These Arms".
Consequently they will be supporting Bon Jovi at the Milton Keynes Bowl on June 10th and 11th!
"MY best friend is in this band" the young porter said, "i've known him since I was four years old and he's asked me to come along to Milton Keynes and help them with their gear".
I could sense the excitement in his voice but he, being a cool dude was trying to keep the lid on it and I smiled.
He followed on to tell me how he had asked around for someone to do a shift swop with him but no one was willing so he asked management if he could take Saturday off as holiday or unpaid leave but was refused because it was short notice.
""I don't care what management say" he said "i'm going anyway, they have told me that if I go I will get a disciplinary but this is only a temporary part-time job to me so they can do what they like as this is an opportunity not to missed".
Normally, I would not condone such a 'couldn't care less attitude' but then I remembered how I was when I was his age and how I still am (re: my excitement at seeing 'The Who' in two weeks time) and thought that yes, he had a point, our manager could have made allowances seeing as it was a one off occurence and after all they won't sack him as he hasn't had a disciplinary before.
So I thought "GO for it Lad, then maybe, like me, when you're old and grey you'll have some happy memories to recall rather than the ones of factories or Supermarket carparks!!!
