u/0hMySenpai

Why did you get rid of it? Last time i tried to order it, the cashiers looked at me crazy and had no idea what i was talking about. The manager was the only one who knew what i was talking about and had to inform the noobs. I remember when i first found out about it. It was an early morning on a Black Friday. You know when folks would line up all night, Walmart, the mall, and pretty much anywhere. I never heard of the platter and it wasn’t really advertised on the menu. Something like a secret menu item, so to say. I believe it had a chicken filet, biscuit, scrambled eggs, gravy, and tots(?) for $8. I still think about it from time to time.

So I've been thinking about this on and off for years and I just need to ask —

How did you actually land your dream job?

And I don't mean "I applied on Indeed." I mean… you were buying something random, one thing led to another, and now your entire job is making sure peanut butter M&M's are stocked in someone's desk drawer. Or you grabbed a sandwich, ripped off a tab from some flyer, and now you're house sitting a luxury penthouse and occasionally babysitting the owner's niece who's lowkey a famous international model. Or someone just paid you to hang out in their entourage because you had the right energy.

No cool story like that? Still want to hear it. Because not every dream job looks glamorous from the outside — but to the right person, your story might be exactly the spark they needed. The idea they never thought of. The path they didn't know existed.

And hey, it doesn't have to be about money either. What was the most rewarding job you ever had? Are you still there?

I'll go first —

I once got paid to give out alcohol samples inside a WinCo for a few hours every couple of weeks. I had a set amount of product and whatever didn't get sampled had to be disposed of. Couldn't take it home. Didn't really drink like that. Nobody I was trying to go out of my way for. So what did I do? If you liked a sample… you got a second. And a third. And a fourth. Filled to the top. The guys who finally agreed to go grocery shopping with their ladies? Yeah, they were very happy that day.

Then there was the time I supervised for a local election — not a presidential one, one of those smaller ones every couple years. Two months of "training" that was basically watching PowerPoints, followed by three long days of actually working it. Got paid $20 an hour to talk to older people about absolutely nothing for a few months. Would do it again no questions asked.

But my most rewarding? Hands down, being an SEL coach in a couple of elementary after-school programs. Watching kids just be kids, helping with homework, and seeing the moment something finally clicks for them — knowing you might be making a difference, even a small one? That one sticks with you.

So shoutout to everyone behind the scenes, up front, unsung, and everything in between — the people who make things actually work and don't get nearly enough credit for it. Your job matters. Your story matters.

Drop your story — you never know who needs to read it. And seriously, I'm here for every single one. Even if it takes me a while to get back, consider this my birthday reading list. 🎂