SEPT 2019
A
I can remember the exact day I began the process of looking for my first real job. I was 16 and had just driven to my driver’s test. After passing and earning my license, my dad decided to drive us home using a quicker route than we took to get there. I may have been legally allowed to drive, but he wasn’t letting me loose on the highway just yet. On the way home, we stopped at a Dairy Queen, and I marched in and asked for a job. They told me to come back the next day for an interview. Soon enough, I was a full-fledged, part-time member of the American workforce, making a staggering $4.25 an hour. I started out working the counter, making Blizzards, and doing whatever else they asked of me. For whatever reason, the grill was reserved for guys, but, other than that, I did it all. I remember when I got the prestigious duty of working the drive-thru, a task reserved only for those who were quick, efficient, and could remember an order without hesitation. It was obviously a huge deal to me. A VERY CHILL GIG MEMORIES FROM MY FIRST JOB
John at his first job!
business. I remember suggesting we host birthday parties. I’m pretty sure we never had a single one, but the idea was appreciated all the same. I even once received a $5 bonus for being such an active participant in our discussions. It wasn’t a lot of money, but it let me know I was valued. One time, I gave a customer change for a $10 bill. I turned around, thought nothing of it, and returned to the counter to see her still standing there. “Excuse me,” she said, “I gave you a $20, and you only gave me change for a $10.” I thought she had given me $10, but I was flustered, so I handed over another $10. Then, I talked to my manager about it. She told that when those situations arose, I had to count down the drawer to ensure the customer was correct. Turns out, she wasn’t. The drawer was short $10 and I, little miss goodie two shoes, was in a panic. But when I counted down the drawer at the end of my shift, that $10 shortage magically disappeared. One of my coworkers had snuck a bill into my drawer when I wasn’t looking. He denied and denied and denied it, but I knew what he did. In return, a gift card was purchased and left with his belongings at work. Who bought the gift card? I think you can probably figure that one out. I tell that story because it illustrates the sense of camaraderie we had at my job. It’s a feeling I strive to instill in my team today. When you love working together, not only do you feel it, but your clients also feel it. That matters whether you’re making Blizzards or helping people after a car accident.
Eventually, I moved to another Dairy Queen location to work with a better group of people. I took a pay cut to do it and
“Oftentimes, work environment
had to drive a little farther, but it was an awesome decision. Thanks to the people I worked with, I can truly say I have fond memories of working in fast food. One of the things I learned there, in fact, was the value of creating an awesome work environment. Oftentimes, work
and quality of life are more important than making an extra $1 per hour. I’ve seen this play out in myself and others throughout my career, and
it’s something I first experienced at good ol’ DQ.”
environment and quality of life are more important than making an extra $1per hour. I’ve seen this play out in myself and others throughout my career, and it’s something I first experienced at good ol’ DQ.
-Melissa Emery
You see, that second location was a great place to work. We weren’t doing anything important like saving the world, but we put smiles on people’s faces and had plenty of laughs ourselves. The management always asked us for our ideas about how to upsell customers or how to generate extra revenue for the
P.S. My eldest son, John, just so happened to get his first job at a Dairy Queen, as well. I swear I didn’t plan it.
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SPREAD PREVENT COLDS AND THE FLU WITH KID-FRIENDLY TEACHING TOOLS
AHH ... AHH ... ACHOO!
School is back in session, but your child may be bringing home more than just random facts. Germs and bacteria that spread the common cold and flu are most prevalent in schools, but while these illnesses are strong, prevention is simple. Teach your kids how to prevent the spread of bacteria this season with these helpful tips.
Hand washing and nose blowing are about as fun as … well, just that. It’s no wonder children don’t want to take time out of their busy play schedules to combat nasty germs. Instead of making these important steps a chore, make basic hygiene fun. Use fun songs to teach the proper way to cover a sneeze, or do a science experiment to teach your children about the germs that are spread through just one sneeze. (According to research, sneezes can travel anywhere from 19–26 feet at 100 miles per hour!) For crafty kids, let them decorate tissue boxes or hand sanitizer containers to give hygiene some flair. Soon enough, you’ll find them being smarter about their health. As kids pack into classrooms this fall, germs will fly faster than this past summer did. Prevent the spread of the common cold and flu by learning more tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention online at CDC.gov.
BUT MOMMY DOESN’T COVER HER NOSE!
Kids learn more by watching what you do rather than listening to what you tell them to do. Get in the habit of covering your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, and then wash your hands. Make hand sanitizer and facial tissues readily available in your home and be sure to wash your hands before every meal. In addition, stick to healthy habits when you do feel sick. Drink fluids, get plenty of rest, and seek medical attention when it’s warranted. If your children see you taking care of yourself, they will be more likely to do the same for themselves in the future.
FIRST JOB MEMORIES
FROM THE EMERY LAW TEAM
KRISTEN HAWTHORNE First job: Strawberry field worker Age: 8
AUDRA SENG , Paralegal First job: Detasseling corn out in a farmer’s field Age: 13 Pay: Not 100% sure I remember this, but I believe it was in the $4-per-hour range. producing bodies, the tassels, from the tops of corn plants and placing them on the ground. It is a form of pollination control, employed to crossbreed or hybridize two varieties of corn. It’s about as thrilling as it sounds. Lesson learned: Farming is a lot of hard work. The job made me appreciate how much work goes into growing food. Worst task: Detasseling corn is removing the immature pollen-
Given that I used this month’s cover article to discuss my experiences working at Dairy Queen, I figure it’s only fair to turn the floor over to my wonderful team and let them share some memories of their first employment experiences. STEVE DAMRON , Attorney First job: Mowing grass for my neighbors Age: 13 Pay: I think I was paid $10 per yard, regardless of the size. Worst task: Mowing grass, cutting weeds, cleaning out landscaping, etc. Lesson learned: The job taught me responsibility, money management, and good work ethic.
Pay: We would get paid in items. If we wanted a certain pair of shoes or jeans, we would work to get those items. Worst task: I grew up on a strawberry farm. When my parents first started out, we hardly had any farm equipment. We would plant roughly
50,000–75,000 strawberry plants by hand. My dad would make a hole in the ground with a shovel, and my sisters and I would hold the “crown” of the plant and stick it in the ground, while the other sister would fill the hole back with dirt and pat the dirt around the plant to make sure it was in sturdy. Lesson learned: How to truly work hard! To literally see our hard work “pay off” come harvest was always such an amazing feeling. The farm is a special place … so special that my husband and I got married there.
What was your first job? Tell us on our Facebook page, @EmeryLawOffice.
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HAVE A LAUGH!
MAKE WAY FOR STUDENTS
CLASSIC APPLE CRISP
Inspired by Food Network
In Jefferson County alone, there are about 900 buses transporting roughly 70,000 students during the school year. That’s a huge amount of traffic, and it’s all heading to and from school zones. Whether or not you have little ones of your own, everyone has to deal with driving past schools. You probably already know that fines are doubled in school zones, and they have special speed limits. Following these orders, though, isn’t just a matter of legal compliance; it’s a safety issue. Kids are notoriously unpredictable, especially when you have hundreds of them in one place vastly outnumbering the adults around them. To make sure you are as safe as possible around school zones, follow these best practices in addition to the law. SAFE DRIVING IN SCHOOL ZONES
Filling: • 5 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped • 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour • 2 tbsp maple syrup • 1 tbsp lemon juice Topping: • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour • 1/3 cup brown sugar • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon What do you do when apples are in season but you don’t have time to make a pie? You opt for a crisp, of course. INGREDIENTS
ASSUME SCHOOL’S IN SESSION
• 1/4 tsp salt • 6 tbsp chilled butter, cut into pieces • 1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Unless it’s 2 a.m. or the windows are boarded up, bet on the school being open. Just because it’s the afternoon doesn’t mean there aren’t children participating in extracurricular activities. Some schools only enforce lowered speed limits during certain hours, but, if you’re not sure, abide by the lower speed limit. School zones are rarely more than a block or two, so nobody will get mad about you holding up traffic.
DIRECTIONS
REACT — DON’T GUESS
WE WANT YOU TO THINK OF US AS YOUR LAW FIRM. If you have a legal matter that needs attention, let us know. If we can’t handle the matter, we will refer you to a firm that can. Please feel free to refer us to your friends and family for their legal needs. We welcome the opportunity to help. 3. In a different mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the topping. Mix in butter until it forms lumps roughly the size of a pea, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over filling. 4. Bake for 35–40 minutes, let stand for 10 minutes, and serve. 1. Heat oven to 350 F. 2. In a mixing bowl, mix all filling ingredients together. Transfer to individual serving ramekins.
While driving, it’s all too easy to anticipate how others will behave. When you pull up at four-way stop, for example, you figure everyone understands the right of way. Dealing with experiences like these over and over again can put you on autopilot. Kids don’t have such a wealth of knowledge to draw upon. The youngest aren’t even adept at crossing the street. As such, it’s crucial to react to kids in school zones rather than taking what they’ll do for granted. A great tip is to try to make eye contact with children so that you register one another’s presence.
TALK TO YOUR KIDS
In addition to focusing on whether your child has their homework in their backpack, be sure to educate them on how to best act around vehicles. It’s not a child’s responsibility to avoid getting hit, but a few precautionary measures can work wonders for everyone’s peace of mind.
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DQ DAYS 1 TEACH YOUR KIDS FLU PREVENTION WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? 2 SCHOOL-ZONE DRIVING TIPS CLASSIC APPLE CRISP 3 HONORING THE CANINES OF 9/11 4 INSIDE
THE 4-LEGGED HEROES OF GROUND ZERO
HONORING THE CANINES OF 9/ 11
I n the immediate aftermath of 9/11, thousands of New Yorkers took to the streets to clear rubble, offer supplies, and search for survivors. It was a powerful act of resilience in a deeply trying time, and while most of the individuals helping with the disaster stood on two feet, more than 300 canines also answered the call to service. Dogs of all breeds and backgrounds, including search and rescue dogs, police dogs, service dogs, and therapy dogs, were brought in to help find and care for survivors in the wake of the destruction. They worked tirelessly alongside rescue crews as they searched through the debris. Search and rescue dogs and their handlers worked 12–16-hour days, searching for survivors and victims. They worked through dangerous conditions: Many dogs burned their paws as they dug through hot rubble, and both handlers and canines inhaled toxic dust. The task was both physically and mentally exhausting for the dogs during their shifts. Some dogs that found deceased victims refused to eat or interact with other animals. Search and rescue dogs became increasingly stressed and depressed the longer they searched without any results, mirroring their handlers. It wasn’t uncommon for handlers to stage mock “findings” of survivors to keep the dogs’ spirits up.
certifications after the events of 9/11, promising to aid in future disasters and hopefully lessen the impact of such catastrophes.
After 9/11, various researchers conducted many studies examining the effect this kind of work has on animals, both physically and mentally. Many of these studies wouldn’t be possible without the AKC Canine Health Foundation, so if you’re looking to give back this September, visit them at their website to see how you can help: AKCCHF.org.
Fortunately, the sacrifices these dogs and their handlers made did not go unnoticed. Many dog owners were inspired to earn their search and rescue
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