Work anxiety

I attended an interview today for a post as a trainee cook at a restaurant. I passed, and was hired, though the owner of the place -a rather stern-looking middle-aged man- seemed dubious at my ability. "Well," he said, "You're enthusiastic enough, but you're quite small, and kitchen work is really heavy. You don't want to be a waitress?" I was quite emphatic in assuring him that no, I had no intention of being a waitress. 

And just for note- I am about five feet four and weigh 104 pounds. I used to be exactly ninety-nine pounds, a nice pretty number that I wholly intend to return to. Yes, I have weight problems. And I am quite aware that a hundred and four pounds is already a weight most teenage girls would kill to be at, but as far as I am concerned this is more of a personal achievement than for any beauty purpose. As far as I can tell, I don't look any different now that I am five pounds heavier than I was two years ago. 

I will be working nine hours a day, six days a week, for slightly less than $250 a month. I am doing fifteen days as a trial, after which... is to be seen. For fifteen days, I will only be paid half of the amount above. In contrast, my sibling worked as an English tutor teaching for about two to four hours a week and earned about $80 a month. So while I am earning quite a bit more, I am working about four times as much as she did. Including Saturday, Sunday and Christmas, unless I should be so lucky as to have that day off- doubtful.

It is not the thought of so much work that troubles me. I am quite happy to be working, although it does seem quite a lot of work. But I know people who work twice as hard for half as much because they have no other opportunities. My only worry is caused by the fact that I am not independently mobile- I am not yet able to drive, something which distresses me greatly. It is the only thing that I am not yet able to achieve and the only thing that stops me from being completely independent.

When I pointed out the hectic schedule to my father he seemed completely unperturbed and said, "That is quite normal. It is normal working hours." Which it is quite, Father. Though I recall that you, in your office hours, didn't work Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. So he said, "Think of it as a prelude of what is to come."