Mark and I love, love, LOVE the BYU Magazine. One regular feature is a collection of reader submitted stories on a particular topic. A few editions back a call was issued for personal stories about custodial work at BYU. I knew that was my chance. I worked diligently preparing what I hoped was a compelling, interesting anecdote, and even sent it in the day before the deadline.
Today we got the BYU Magazine featuring the custodial stories. I didn't make the cut.
I'm telling myself they probably never received my email. I'm a fan of denial like that.
Here's what I wrote:
***************
I
spent three of my four undergraduate years cleaning the football locker room in
the Smith Field House. Doing the same job for such a long time meant my
co-worker, Tammy, and I became extremely efficient.
At
10 pm, five evenings a week, we would punch in the secret door-entry code, take
a moment to assess the level of disarray, and make plans to divide and
conquer. Noble Tammy always took on the
bathrooms, leaving me to sweep and mop the bright blue floors.
The
simple, repetitive tasks of pushing the broom and swishing the mop left my mind
free to consider my surroundings. I soon
learned which lockers to work past swiftly, grimacing as olfactory evidence of
intense practices seeped from the cubbies.
I noted with amusement the newspaper clippings taped to the walls, with
haughty quotes from upcoming opponents highlighted in bright yellows and
pinks. The wall just above one
particular trashcan in the middle of the locker room was invariably plastered
with orange pulp and apple residue, suggesting some players harbored dual sport
aspirations.
Our
supervisor, Leonard, a transplant to Utah from the green fields of
Ireland, would frequently check in to appraise our work, assign extra tasks, or
entertain us with Irish songs and stories.
Leonard was never short of jokes or advice. He encouraged us to undertake even the most
mundane or disgusting jobs with good humor and zeal. Though I’ve forgotten many of his specific words
of wisdom, one particular piece of advice has withstood the test of time.
“Always remember!” he’d caution as we worked to polish the drinking fountains
and shower fixtures, “No other success can compensate for failure with your
chrome!”
3 comments:
I pity the people who never got to work custodial at BYU. I'm a little bit partial to my job, but I really think it was the most fun ever. I was based out of the Benson, but my crew was subcontracted to clean up after the workers and seal the floors during the remodelling of the Eyring Science Center (giving us unfettered access to things we probably shouldn't have had), we cleaned the underground nuclear lab, we cleaned the SWKT and possessed keys allowing us on the roof (where we conscienciously cleaned the sneeze guard things), and we worked in the Kennedy building and the WIDB. It was a great adventure!
I just read that issue, and chuckled at that part. Although I worked at 4AM I couldn't remember a single funny incident.
You have to admit the guy vacuuming the elevator and the doors closing on him was pretty funny!
Classic, Erin. I'm glad that you have a place where you could self-publish so I could read it. They MUST not of gotten your email.
Post a Comment