Teenagers’ Summer Jobs

Did you have a summer job as a kid? I helped my friend Kevin with his paper route once in a while. Getting up at 4 a.m. was a bit rough. I had fun spending the night at his house, we just stayed up all night!

My first job was Fisher-Jagua’s Gun Club. It was a very Caddy Shack vibe. I worked in a trap-house loading clay targets on a machine that shot them out as soon as the “puller” pushed a button. It was a bit dangerous, but we had fun. I also did Little Caesars for a bit. Fast food is tough!

It was a treat to introduce my son, who is part Cherokee, to Cherokee Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.

The Cherokee Nation hosted a job fair recently and, since my son is 16, I was hoping we could find a summer job for him. So, I told him about it. He refused to go but, after I insisted, he said something like, “OK, but I’m not doing anything.”

As per usual, once we got there he realized he might have some fun. Some booths had little giveaways, candy and cookies. However, it’s when Chief Hoskin Jr. walked in that things got interesting. Once I explained who that was, he couldn’t wait to meet him.

He was very gracious and asked Atticus his ambitions for the summer and post high school. Chief Hoskin gave a great speech about the commitment the tribe has to provide jobs and community outreach to Cherokees, the north Tulsa area and beyond.

On the drive home, Atticus was texting his mom and friends the picture of him and the chief. He was very proud, and told me: “Thank you for making me go.” “You’re welcome,” I said happily.

Horsing Around

Something similar happened with my daughter and me recently. I arranged a 90-minute trail ride at Tulsa Trails West. I’m really hoping my daughter finds more interests besides staying in her room and playing Roblox with friends. She is on her phone and tablet (simultaneously) in her room, almost exclusively.

So, to get her to come out of her room and do something in nature has been a challenge lately. It was a hard “no,” until she asked if she could bring a friend. I was hoping for a little daddy-daughter time but, hey, I’ll take what I can get, so I said yes. It was worth every minute. She and her friends had a blast!

Moral of the story:

Your kids might whine about you making them put their phones away but, they will thank you later.