Whether it’s mowing lawns, busing dishes, pulling weeds, selling shoes, entertaining children, or serving as backup crew on boats, many young people begin their working lives during the summer. These first jobs are a coming-of-age ritual filled with wonder and worry, a time of reckoning and learning. My first job came at the age of 15, when I worked at a women’s clothing store three days a week. I earned what I know now was a paltry sum, but mostly I was delighted with the 10 percent discount for purchases that I was given as a “real” employee (I managed to end the summer with at least a little money, and a few great sweaters). I would get dressed in the mornings and walk the two miles from our house to the store, determined to get there on time and to remember the many small details that were required to keep my supervisor from getting cross. Like many first-timers, sometimes I was successful, and sometimes I wasn’t. For example, I learned quickly that getting to work meant being there at 8:45, so that I had time to hang up my purse, and stow my lunch bag before the store opened at 9 am. (The first day, I got there at 9, because that was what I expected, and instead was greeted with a sigh by my supervisor, who shook her head, pursed her lips, raised her eyebrows, and simply pointed to the back room where our lockers were.) There were many such lessons in humility that year, and I was not asked to stay on after the summer. I remember that job and those lessons well, and try really hard to be encouraging when I see a young person obviously struggling to figure it all out. So as you watch the bus person spilling some water, or the clerk getting distracted by his phone, try to be kind.
It’s going to be a busy week at our Aquinnah library:
- On Thursday, August 3, from 5 to 6 pm, Vineyard artist and sculptor Barney Zeitz will talk about his work as part of the Aquinnah Library Summer Speaker Series. Preregistration is suggested for this one, so email sjosephson@clamsnet.org to register.
- On Saturday, August 5, from 11 to 12:30 pm, you can join Anna Marden as she offers a meditative sound bath followed by free-flow writing at her workshop, “Sonic Flow Writing.” Please bring a journal, and a yoga mat if you have one.
- Also on Saturday, August 5, from 3 to 4 pm, it’s “Henna on the Deck” with Bridgette of Maple Mehndi. Email sjosephson@clamsnet.org to register in advance.
- On Tuesday, August 8, from 4 to 6 pm, there will be a very special panel presented through a collaboration of the Aquinnah Cultural Center and the library. “Stories from the Little Red Schoolhouse” tells first-person stories from the time that the building that houses the Aquinnah library today was used as the Gay Head Schoolhouse, until the mid-1960s. Speakers include Adrianna Ignacio, Beverly Wright, Jeffery Madison, and Kristina Hook, all Wampanoag tribal members who attended the school and all who are great storytellers. This one will be held at the Aquinnah Town Hall, and is free and open to the public.
- On Thursday, August 10, from 5 to 7 pm, memoirist, essayist, and scholar Laurie Lindeen offers a “Memoir Writing Bootcamp,” filled with prompts and pointers. You will be guided to break down the process of memoir writing into a series of small, manageable components. I’m headed for this one, although thinking of my life as made up of small, manageable components is going to be tough.
Meanwhile, beach and water cleanup continue. Chris Murphy’s crew of four floating Beach BeFrienders continued their trash collecting along the Menemsha and Quitsa Pond shores. They hauled in many bags of trash, and a mound of other flotsam and jetsam, within two hours. And Beach BeFrienders aren’t going to stop. If you want to emulate their good work, contact Laurisa Rich (lolaurisa@me.com) to get more information. Remember that you can pick up your cleanup kit from the library, and that you can bring the trash that is collected to the dump for free.
The Aquinnah Cultural Center has several terrific classes and workshops coming up for Wampanoag tribal members. They’re offering classes and workshops on songs, dances, crafts, and games, all within the first part of August. If you are a tribal member, please contact them for more information at aquinnahcc@gmail.com, or call 508-645-7900. For those of you who are not Wampanoag, I encourage you to go by the big house on the circle and take a look at the history they present there.
I sign off with wishes for a great birthday to Meadow Bassett on August 2, to Willie Bologna on August 3, to David Elliot Vanderhoop on August 7, and to Evan Hall on August 8.