Take your best job and shove it!

 Would you consider your job the best around?

 Even though I very much like what I am doing, my job, or jobs actually, are nowhere near one of those considered the best in the country, according to CNNMoney.com. The online business magazine has listed what it considers the 100 best jobs in the country based upon salary, quality of life and job growth.

 I did a quick inventory of all the full-time and part-time jobs I have had since leaving high school 35 years ago. Compared with many who are perhaps 10 years or so older than I am, I imagine I look like a prize-winning job hopper.

 People used to have jobs and stay with them until they retire. These days, not so much. One major reason for job hopping today is because the company wants you to go so that they may restructure or self-destruct or whatever. Still, I have had six full-time jobs if you count the Navy, and my four newspaper jobs along with my current (struggling) career as a freelance writer as one job. I have also had four part-time jobs including my present one working for the government.

 Not one of the jobs I have or in which I have ever been employed are listed on that top 100 list. Here is a quick run-down of what I’ve done:

    Assembled boxes in a chicken processing plant. Whee!/Navy administrative/clerical worker/Professional firefighter (worked part-time for awhile moving mobile homes. Eeeeeh. and also had a part-time EMT job)/Regional EMS planner/Apartment maintenance worker/Vacuumer at car wash/part-time editor of monthly music magazine/Worked three part-time jobs — short-order cook, bartender and secret shopper (Dairy Queen detective)/Mental health worker/Journalist (editor, reporter, freelance writer)/part-time government job.

 It really looks worse than it is. Actually, when considering percentages, 82% of 35 years working have been with three jobs, providing you count the different stops I had as a journalist as one, and I do. But none of my jobs, as I said, were on the top 100 CNNMoney list. Well, it doesn’t matter. None of the jobs I held were what you call “money makers.” But I have spent 57% of my adult working life as a journalist, which is what I wanted to “be when I grew up.” Oh well, I got what I wanted to be while not necessarily growing up. So be it. And the two worst jobs: moving mobile homes and assembling boxes in a chicken plant. It takes a special breed for those jobs and I suppose I am a breed apart.

 I have said in numerous job interviews, and it is only partially blowing smoke up the interviewer’s ass, that while some might look negatively on my having worked so many jobs I feel that every experience I ever had helped me do the next job better.

 Speaking of longevity, I read in Elise Hu’s blog on Texas Tribune that long-long-time Associated Press photographer Harry Cabluck was one of those unfortunate few who were laid off yesterday during that wire service’s personnel purge.

 Hu notes that Harry, 71, was in the motorcade when JFK was shot in Dallas. He has been based in Austin for many years. A ton of tributes are being collected in Hu’s blog for Harry.

 I don’t know Harry well. I only was in his space twice. Once we talked for a few minutes on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives while waiting on something or the other. The other time was quite a bit longer.

 Harry and I were among press covering something at Fort Hood. He had left his car at the southern end of the post and we were up at the northern extreme. I gave him a lift and was entertained by Harry along the way. What I remember the most was his talking about some cohort or acquaintance of his — that and it was about a 20-minute drive and I really needed to use the bathroom. Harry said either the cohort or both of them used to spend time making up stories about people they would see — total strangers — while they were driving along. Harry gave some really funny examples while we were driving and, well, you had to have been there. I’m sure Harry doesn’t remember that although I understand he has a pretty good memory. I, however, do not.

 Best of luck to Harry Cabluck in his future.