A NEW YEAR ... A NEW JOB!!!

 

     In just 6 days it will be 2026. I always look at the new year as a new beginning for us and a world of new opportunities. Not only is it a New Year, for me it's a brand-new job, which I started on December 9th. I am officially a full-time Trader Joe's worker! Before you all post a comment like "What about Chick Fil-A?" Let me just say I am still with Chick Fil-A but only part time. It was time for me to make a change! I gave Chick Fil-A ten years of hard work, so let me explain why I decided to move on to another career change at 61 years of age!

     I won't rehash my Chick Fil-A career. I already did that when I blogged about my ten years there. When I was hired in 2015, my goal was to be back in fulltime ministry in 2 years which did happen but only part time at a church in Holbrook, NY. I did get promoted as a morning manager in Port Jefferson in 2016, but when I moved over to Commack in 2018, I had hopes of being in management there. I discussed this with the leadership there and for quite some time I watched several managers leave and new managers replace them for the morning shift. It was never me. I was given keys to open the store because they knew I was trustworthy. I did have a few leaders believe in me that I would become a manager, or as they called it "An Assistant Director" but in my 6 1/2 years there I was only promoted as a Shift Captain. It seems as though our Owner/ Operator was more interested in mentoring the younger generation which is understandable. I used to look around the restaurant in Commack and realize I was the only male figure there with gray hair! I always felt like a drummer in a band playing the guitar with several other guitar players in the band. In other words, I never felt like I was needed. I never understood why I could never reach the next level. I always worked hard, and I was kind to guests and fellow team members. I guess it just wasn't meant to be for me! 

     When I moved to South Carolina and interviewed with Chick Fil-A, I was offered a job and told I would be a "Team Leader" within six months. I was also told I would have to start out as a Team Member which meant I needed to start over. I went back to wearing the red polo shirt just like I did in Commack. I understood the managements policy, and I made it a goal to prove to them I would not only be a hard-working Team Member but a great eventual Team Leader. I have been here a year and there has been no talk of a promotion and not even a raise. Honestly, being outside with an iPad taking orders, cleaning tables, serving food and delivering food to people, I have seen a lot of abuse from our guests. This has impacted me mentally and physically. I do know there are problems wherever you work, whether it is in New York or South Carolina. It just seems to me that when you work at a restaurant, you do have a target painted on you. This has always been apparent when you work at any Chick Fil-A when you are told to go the extra mile, be polite and share a smile. I do have to say I have never really felt respected working at Chick Fil-A. I did for a season on Port Jefferson but elsewhere I did feel like I was being taken advantage of. My leaders knew I was reliable and would "go the extra mile." Some younger "kids" were being promoted. I say "kids" because they are the same age as my children. The only place I ever felt respected in the last 10 years was the church I was an Assistant Pastor at ... Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship. So, with all this said, I see a pattern here which means "it is time to move on. I was never bitter, just disappointed. I will admit this was a "head scratcher" but I also knew it was not God's plan for my life, and that's okay.

     Like I said, I always look at a New Year as a new beginning. Although I started at Trader Joe's in early December, this is a new beginning for me. I have never worked at a supermarket, only at Home Depot. I honestly feel no stress working there and I have learned a lot. This Trader Joe's is brand new, and we have a mixture of workers transferring from a different store as well as newbies like me. I don't know what God has in store for me in 2026. I am in no hurry to get back into being in any paid ministry position. I do admit I miss ministering to kids, but I am enjoying my sabbatical immensely. I am enjoying working on my book which I hope to get published some time in 2026. I do love to write this blog also! I never want my creativeness to be buried or die. I always want those creative juices to flow. In the meantime, I will continue to work hard to pay my debts, and I will always give 100% in everything I do. 2026 is just around the corner. It is the beginning of something big, and I pray the same for you all.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! THANKS FOR READING MY BLOG THIS PAST YEAR!