What Does Concession's Have to Do With Education?

I know that many of you are probably thinking "who cares about concession work... it has nothing to do with education"... I must admit, it might seem that way, but I am here to tell you, it has a lot.

As I said before, in my previous blog, concession work allowed me to be a person that is not shy and doesn't care to stand out in a crowd. That made me want to follow my dream of being a teacher. Before I started working, I had wanted to be a teacher, but the thought was totally out of the question, because I was so shy. I couldn't imagine getting in front of people, let alone teaching people. So... that is one way concessions work has helped me!

Another way it has helped me is that it has allowed me to become a leader. Since I have been there for 5 years now, I am basically the queen of the castle at "Ryan's Concessions". What I say goes. I am in charge. I train people, manage them, and keep the trailer running smoothly. This has allowed me to think in terms of fairness to be people that are working for me, as my prospective students would eventually. It made me want even more to be the leader I feel like I am capable of being.

See, concessions work does have educational relevance. It allowed me to make decisons about the person that I wanted to be, and allowed me to follow my dreams.

The Changes One Takes With a Job...

(I'm the one of the left)

So I must admit... there are many things that I do not know. However, there are many things I know a lot about. One of those things is about the life of a concession worker. I have been involved in the crazy life of what some people have come to call "the carnie life". However, I am here to tell you, that it is not a carnie life at all. There are so many stories about the fun I have had out at the fair and the festivals I have witnessed and worked.

To start off, let me introduce myself prior to the concession's life. I was a very shy girl that hated speaking to people that I didn't know. I was 15, and hated life. However, my sister Tiffany started working at the fair, and thought that I should work there too. She thought it was a good way to make money and to just get out of the house. So, that first year was pretty rough. I was a mamma's girl that hated leaving the house for more than 2 days. So, the next thing I knew, I was away for a month traveling from county fair to county fair. I done alright, especially with my sister at my side. I was still antisocial, but that was okay because my sister was the only person I spoke to...

So the next year something major happened. My sister got another job... and she left the fair. I was basically at a loss. I found that I had to go out and talk to people to keep my sanity. So... I did. From here I met all the other people that worked in other trailers. I myself, am a lemonade shaker. I soon met everyone else from the various trailers, including pizza, steak, fries, sausage and so on. One thing that was especially strange was that I was the only girl! Not only was I previously anti-social, but I hated talking to guys! So here I was, thrown into a world where I was the only girl out of about 20 guys.

So what happened? Well, if you know me now, that is not hard to guess. I am not the most outgoing person you might meet. I am crazy, fun loving, and what I like to call a "social butterfly". Everyone at the fair now knows me for being different and always happy, and just crazy. There are very few of the people left that were working when I first started now. So, there are few that remember the way I used to be. When they try and tell the new kids about how I used to be, no one believes them. I admit, it is a big difference.

One person who remembers me the most other than my boss and his wife is a guy named Deke Michael. This is one person who originally tried to get me to talk time after time that first year, with no success. Well, he can tell you now that I am a completely different person. I look different and act different. Over the years, I not only changed on the inside, but I also lost about 60 lbs. So, I have made some dramatic changes. Deke can tell you all about it, he pretty much knows me better than anyone at this point... considering how we are now dating... Hahha....

So basically, that is how I came to be. Living at the fair is so much fun, as long as you let it be. I love working and traveling. I might get tired, and be ready to kill people, but I have some amazing storied about the fun I have had. Deke and I are two of the people that have been there the longest. We like to have fun, and just live the concession's life. Some people call it the carnie life, but I am here to tell you we are NoT carnies... we totally bathe at night and are clean people. We even wash our clothes daily! That is the difference between carnie and concessions! We love working, and even more importantly, we love the money we make... as any person in the working class! :)

So, I will leave on one final note. If you are totally shy, and hate socializing, maybe you should consider a job that will make you get out and become a "social butterfly". I am here to tell you, life is so much more fun when you finally just let loose, and not care what people think about you. Just go for it, and you too can be a crazy person just like me! I'm 20 now, and love the fair, and the life that it allows me to live! :)