First (job) love

Some people say you never get over your first love (luckily I married mine!), but I will never get over my first job. As recently as today I was discussing first jobs with a couple of friends. In a world where so many people reflect on their first real job with a pained look at their face, I was lucky - I had an awesome first job. After a great internship with the soap opera As The World Turns, they offered me a full-time real-person grown-up job. (It even started off perfectly - I got the job offer while I was in Disney World.)

I had no idea that having full health insurance, vacation and 401k benefits the day I started a salaried (plus overtime) job was not the norm, but aside from that, I knew I was incredibly lucky.

We had "dark Fridays". That's right, I worked a 4-day work week, every week. I'd even argue that the 4-day work week forced productivity. (Later when we switched to a 5-day work week people would be wandering mid-morning on Friday... wondering what they should be doing since they'd gotten all their work done by Thursday).

A car service picked me up at my door every day and drove me right to the studio door. At the end of the day a car drove me home and dropped me off right in front of my building.

The people I worked with were great. I've never worked with such a dedicated, talented, fun group of people, I doubt I ever will again. From the cast to the crew, they were fantastic.

And, while I'm sure there were days I was miserable during that first job, all I have are dewy eyed memories.

I'll never forget that I got to work with soap-legend, Helen Wagner, the woman who spoke the first line ever on As The World Turns. I adored Helen, and (as she was... well, let's just say particular) since I liked her so much I got to spend a lot of time with her each time she came to the studio. She even signed a picture for my Grandmother, a huge fan, that my Grandmother still has on her mantel.

I'll also never forget leaning back in my office chair, throwing a rubberband ball with a co-worker while chatting with another co-worker, waiting for taping to wrap for the night. I looked at both of them and said, "someday we're going to look back on this and say, 'remember how great it was when we worked in the production office?'".

So when friends tell me about ridiculously low salaried, crappy work environment, "heinous boss" jobs, I feel so grateful that I can't relate.