The Golden Arches

I recently wrote about an old nickname of mine . . . . SAILOR! That name was given to me by one of my managers in McDonald's Dun Laoghaire - Dennis C I wonder where are you these days!

Funny thing just the other day I received a friend request from one of the guys who was part of the crew at McD's in DL all those years ago and as a result I have reconnected with a few more of that gang.

Which makes me want to write about those days. I was barely 16 when I started asking "Can I take your order please?" and bagging French fries. But it was the beginning of some amazing friendships, a couple of long-term relationships and the best training a teenager could ask for.

Days when I knew I was good at something - I learned about myself and self-esteem. I worked for £1.30 an hour. . . That's 1(Irish) pound and 30 pence. I learned to work hard, to work in a team; to cook a great hamburger and perfect French fries. I also learned to smoke (thank you Denys H, I still remember that night in Scott's pub). John Player Blue I believe. And being teased for not inhaling. . . . Ladies didn't do things like that.

And then there was the parties!! Christmas, New Years, the occasional wedding (a manager or friend who married young). And the 21st's. . . a major rite of passage. . . . I found the pics of Trudy's 21st - a Black & White party @ Killiney Court (the place for a party back then).

Happy Days under the Golden Arches . . . . . but nobody calls me Sailor these days!