For a couple of weeks, I have noticed something that has been circling my life, that something is oppression. (more…)
Archive for the ‘labor on the body’ Category
How being a waitress made me buff
Posted in labor on the body, Uncategorized, tagged buff, fajitas, Restaurant on September 29, 2016| Leave a Comment »
I’ve had a few jobs growing up and nothing has shaped my body like being a waitress. I worked at a Mexican restaurant and our most popular dish was fajitas. If you’ve never had fajitas you have to know they are served with two plates: an iron plate for the meats (or veggies) and then a separate plate for all of the sides. Being our most popular dish, I would often end up with a table of four customers that would all order fajitas. I was petite, and balancing four iron plates on one hand and a tray stand on the other proved to be a difficult task, especially when I had to squeeze through a crowded bar. I could do it, but I wasn’t as fast as the men I worked with. The men, being taller and stronger, were given sections with up to six tables, I was stuck with three. My lack of strength was affecting my income and I had to take action. I couldn’t make myself any taller but I could definitely get buff. I began lifting weights and practicing after hours with empty plates on a tray until I proved I was strong enough to be given more tables. I wasn’t as strong as the guys, but I could carry my own weight.
My Father, The Former Coal Miner
Posted in bodies, family, illness, labor on the body, manual labor, pain, tagged bodies, Bodies at work, coal mines, family, manual labor, work on December 11, 2015| 1 Comment »
My dad used to work in the coal mines of West Virginia. This was before I was born and right around the time my parents got married. His father and uncles were coal miners as well and my grandfather wished for my dad to work anywhere but the mines. (more…)
Expectations and Rules Placed on Bodies During Work: Selling Your Labor and Your Image
Posted in labor on the body, tagged emotional labor, minimum wage, service economy, work on September 21, 2015| 3 Comments »
my dog after a hard day’s work
Working most minimum wage jobs requires a lot of changes to your behavior while you’re working, but it also puts constraints on your body. (more…)
