I’ve only ever had one job and it didn’t last long. It was 1979, I was 16, in school and studying German for the Leaving Certificate.
A relative of my best friend organised a job for us as Zimmermädchen in the tiny German town of Inzell. The school gave us leave to go, so off we went.
The work was hard, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as cleaning rooms, but it was fun and we were quite the celebrities in the village as few had ever met anyone from Ireland.
The landlady, Frau Striet had a cleanliness obsession making us scrub out wardrobes with a scrubbing brush even if the guest stayed only one night, and the kitchen had to be thoroughly cleaned each evening including utensils used or unused.
Neither of our families had phones and since there was a postal strike ongoing in Ireland we had zero contact with home. My friend Flea was so homesick she cried every night and after a month or so was desperate to leave.
We told Frau Striet. She was incredulous. What had she done wrong? She reasoned, she cajoled and when eventually she cried I gave in, while Flea held her ground. Even as I uttered the words agreeing to stay I knew I couldn’t do it, but I have this problem with the word no and I’m a coward to boot.
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We secretly arranged with Herr Plenk the taxi man to take us to the train station at 4 am and sneaked out under the cover of darkness. By the time our perfidy was discovered we were on the train to Munich, two 16-year-olds with about 80 Deutsche Marks and not a travel arrangement between them.
From Munich we caught a train to Paris, another from Paris to Calais, a boat from Calais to Dover and a train from Dover to London, where we arrived on a Sunday morning with no British currency, no Bureau De Change open and no way to get from London to Dublin.
We’d met a lovely French lady on the train to Paris who showed us how to use the metro and, as luck would have it, on the Dover to London train we encountered a group of fellow punk rockers. They took us to a place in some rough-looking part of town where a man with a turban in a corner shop changed some of our Deutsche Marks for Pounds. We were saved! A train from London to Holyhead, a boat to Dunlaoghaire and a train to Dublin and two days after our escape, we were home.
Since we’d no way to let our families know we were on the way, it was quite a surprise to my parents, who’d rented out my room …Only kidding.
This proved to be quite the pivotal event in my young life, bringing me to the realisation that I could never work for anyone and would have to be my own boss. Thus the trajectory of my future was altered, which was just as well since teaching or librarianship, which was my plan, would not have suited my increasingly misanthropic disposition.
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Posted in response to @galenkp's Weekend Experiences prompt asking' Have you ever resigned from a job? Did the process go well or badly and was it awkward; did what you moved on to work out? '
Unfortunately I don't have a single photo to offer from that time since we simply didn't have a camera.
Not being able to contact your families must have been hard... on the other hand, your folks couldn't say No to such an adventure. I am old enough to remember the days when your family couldn't reach when you were away and it was fun!
I cannot imagine a modern day parent following such a crazy trip on Whatsapp. I would've died of worry. My 16yo just walked his sister home and I insisted he took his phone with him for a 10 min walk. Also had my eyes on the clock the whole time...
LE: Very interesting photos you got there...
I think the world is a more dangerous place now, especially for children. My parents had a very laissez-faire approach to parenting and we more or less did what we pleased. At 7 years old my brother was already peddling his wares around the doors of our estate and using the proceeds to travel alone to Northern Ireland.
Edit: I love taking pictures of unusual little signs on the streets.
Wow... that was a brave move from you too. Not with a solid plan, you guys went ahead. Thankfully, you both met good people who helped until you went your separe ways.
We met a couple of bad people too, but that's another story:)
Woohooo. Geez, a lot more to learn then. Hehe.
I don't accept that. Impatient maybe. I'm certain the pompous will not find in you a friendly audience. But I see kindness--mixed with a wry, sometimes hard humor.
In 1972 I made the very same journey, except I took a train from Vienna instead of Munich and flew back to New York from London.
This I believe.
As always, a charming, entertaining blog.
Another one for my Tinder profile:)
Ah ha, yet another thing in common. We shall have to compare lives one of these days and count the commonalities.
😄🚅
That's a young age to be on such a trip, brave of you indeed. I think it would have been a good experience, the entire thing, for you and your relative and it's such things that help people grow and develop.
Also, that guy on the video you left in another comment...I need an interpreter...but I'm not sure an interpreter would be able to interpret it. 🙃
Becca 🌷
It seems to me that the 1970s and 80s were a completely different world.
As for needing an interpreter, I moved from the city to the country 4 years ago and I couldn't understand a word the locals were saying. Now I speak just like them!:)
We are definitely in different times and in my opinion they are not at all better. I miss so many things about how life used to be and look around me now and see very little I find engaging. People lack manners, work ethic, stamina, responsibility; I could go on by I will not as I think you understand.
This is why they make translators. :)
Becca 🌷
We take for granted today's easy communication, but it wasn't like that years ago! I know how hard it is to stay somewhere when you really don't want to be there and you follow your gut and scarper!
I think we were much better off when we weren't expected to be available 24/7. I don't carry a mobile phone, so when I'm not home, I'm not contactable and that's the way I like it. Scarpering tends to be my default...he who fights and runs away an' all dat!
I imagine the consternation Frau Striet felt when she realised you'd scarpered and how many wardrobes and kitchen utensils she had to wash until she found some more help. Poor old Frau Striet.
It sounds like an adventure though, especially at that young age and I think the lesson learned was incredibly valuable, and certainly impactful.
I'm going down this path soon myself so I might give the simply disappear method of resignation a try. I'm sure my organisation will be so pleased! 😉
Also, I wonder, had your parents rented your room would they have booted the tenant out of your room and let you, a non-paying one, move in. 🤔
Also, I met with a client over the week, a lovely Irish woman, and had a nice productive meeting...if only I could understand a bloody word she said! 🫣 Made me think of you actually.
I wouldn't recommend the disappearance option as I've spent my life since trying to make up for this transgression.
My parents welcomed me with open arms declaring that they'd missed their most biddable skivvy, and as to impenetrable Irish accents, I give you this
Old Dermot huh? Didn't understand a word...that's how my whole meeting went the other day. 😋
Yeah, I'm not the disappearing sort of man, I have ethics and ownership and all so I'll resign properly and do my role until the end of the very last minute and work hard to leave it in good shape for the next person as dropping someone into what I had to face when I began with the organisation wouldn't sit well with me and I respect the up-chain more than to do such a thing. I'll still see a couple of them after I resign and would rather not have them want to cleave me in twain with an axe.
I assume because you were so adorable.
Indeed you don't seem the sort who'd run away...from anything.
And of course I'm adorable.
Only from T-Rex, those buggers scare me even despite those ridiculously short arms...but otherwise nope, no running away.
I heard you were and realistically there was little doubt, but the confirmation you supply here puts it beyond the shadow of a doubt.
Hahaha!
Great story. Glad you made it to Hive though, where you can hang out with fellow misfits like me ;^)
P.S. I have had dozens of jobs and have been fired or quit just as many times
You know, I'm not sure if my friend nick-named me deirdy weirdy because I am a misfit or, I am a misfit because they named me deirdy weirdy. No matter, I do feel at home on Hive amongst classier personages such as yourself.
As to jobs, down with that sort of thing!
Edit: Cheers for the reblog!