“Be safe!” my mother tells me every time I leave the car and walk across the parking lot towards the glass doors. I make sure to adjust my cotton mask so my mouth and nose are completely covered, rub hand sanitizer on my hands and put on gloves. I walk inside the store, say hi to my manager and punch in. I then walk to the end of an available checkout lane and start bagging.
From the moment it was announced that Hamilton would be moving to distance learning for the rest of the semester, I knew I wanted to get a job. My time normally spent doing activities on campus was now largely freed up and I wanted to do something productive with that time. My younger brother had been working in a grocery store for the past few months and I decided to apply there, knowing that essential businesses would need healthy people to work. I soon had an interview and was hired. I went through training and started my first day as a bagger on March 30th.
Bagging is a fast paced job. Food comes down the conveyor belt quickly and piles up if I don’t bag it immediately. And, at the same time, it requires a lot of attention to detail. Produce must go together, cold items cannot go with boxed items and eggs cannot go below anything except for bread. Sometimes, customers will have multiple orders that go in separate bags or they’ll want the bags to be lighter or heavier. Often, they’ll want me to carry their groceries to their car and put them in their trunk, which is my favorite part of the job, as I can get some fresh air while still working.
The pandemic has changed some of the ways the grocery store operates. Customers form a long line, standing 6 feet apart to get to the checkout lanes and only every other lane is open. After the customer leaves, the cashier and I wipe the register area down with disinfectant and immediately attend to the next person. Communication can also be difficult sometimes, as masks are compulsory for both customers and employees and sound can get muffled. One customer even said to me “I don’t know how you wear that mask all day!”
Something that has made work easier during this crisis is that customers have generally been a lot more friendly and patient with me and my fellow employees. Sure I encounter a difficult customer every now and then. But many of them have thanked me for the work I’m doing. I’ve also had chance encounters with people I know. One time I carried out groceries for the mother of one of my brother’s childhood friends, who did not recognize me at first because of my mask. Another time, I ran into someone I knew from Hamilton.
I am well aware of the risks I’m taking doing this job. As of April 15th, there have been 28,918 Coronavirus cases in my home state of Massachusetts, including 75 in the town the store is in. I am young and healthy, but I am aware of rare instances where those who are healthy have gotten sick and died. No matter how many precautions the store takes, I am still putting myself at a higher risk of getting the disease.
Because of that, I often ask myself “Why am I doing this job?” I am fortunate enough to be in a position where working in this job is not necessary to support myself or my family. I could put myself under more stress by working 20 hours a week while taking 4 classes remotely. I also have less free time to do other things I want to watch a new show on Netflix, bake or go for long bike rides.
I think that I am doing this job because I can and want to help my community. Many people have told me that this pandemic is a historical event and people will remember what they were doing during this time. One day, I will hopefully be able to look back and feel proud of myself for helping people get food safely.
I am well aware of the risks I’m taking doing this job. As of April 15th, there have been 28,918 Coronavirus cases in my home state of Massachusetts, including 75 in the town the store is in. I am young and healthy, but I am aware of rare instances where those who are healthy have gotten sick and died. No matter how many precautions the store takes, I am still putting myself at a higher risk of getting the disease.
Because of that, I often ask myself “Why am I doing this job?” I am fortunate enough to be in a position where working in this job is not necessary to support myself or my family. I could put myself under more stress by working 20 hours a week while taking 4 classes remotely. I also have less free time to do other things I want like to watch a new show on Netflix, bake or go for long bike rides.
I think that I am doing this job because I can and want to help my community. Many people have told me that this pandemic is a historical event and people will remember what they were doing during this time. One day, I will hopefully be able to look back and feel proud of myself for helping people get food safely.
