A Flash-Bandit Update
By MrsJ
@SophiaMorros (5044)
Belews Creek, North Carolina
July 23, 2019 11:54am CST
My globe-trotting, Appalachian Trail section-hiking, Hawaii living son has found gainful employment.
It was touch and go for a little while. He had a great interview with the park service for a job at the Pearl Harbor Memorial. They never got back to him.
He was told he had landed a job at Sam’s Club, but when he tried to get in touch with the person who supposedly hired him, he was “ghosted.”
He pounded the pavement for several weeks, filled out countless job applications, and followed-up every lead he could find. Nothing.
This optimistic child of mine who was sure he could land a job within the first couple of weeks of living on Waikiki, discovered that in Hawaii it isn’t what you know, it’s who you know and, to a certain extent, how long you’ve been on the island. They like tourists, they do NOT like tourists who decide to make Hawaii their home.
Seven weeks in and Flash-Bandit was beginning to panic as his savings were rapidly dwindling. He was ready to start applying for part-time fast-food jobs. Anything just to stay afloat.
I’ll be honest, on one side I was a little concerned abut his situation, on the other I was hoping he might finally learn a few difficult reality lessons.
It seems this son of mine doesn’t live in the same universe as I do. The child who was almost ready to resort to cleaning toilets finally landed a job.
Not cleaning toilets, not flipping burgers, not even stocking shelves at Walmart.
No this child of mine managed to land a job as a submarine co-pilot/tour guide.
Yep, you read that correctly.
He is a submarine co-pilot and tour guide. Probably one of the COOLEST job titles ever.
There is a company that does submarine tours in the waters off of Hawaii and my son now spends his work days hanging out with sea turtles and other tropical sea-life.
What is the coolest job title you've ever had?
12 people like this
13 responses
@moffittjc (121715)
• Gainesville, Florida
27 Jul 19
I don't think I've ever had any cool job titles, and even if I did, nothing could come close to touching submarine co-pilot and tour guide. I'm quite envious of his new job. I hope he loves it. Who wouldn't want to spend days hanging out with sea turtles piloting a submarine? lol
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121715)
• Gainesville, Florida
27 Jul 19
@SophiaMorros I would be in heaven. They wouldn't even have to pay me to do that job. I would volunteer for free!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121715)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Jul 19
@SophiaMorros Don't we all wish we could land dream jobs like that?
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
27 Jul 19
He's loving the sea turtles. He said he sees them every day.
2 people like this
@xFiacre (13149)
• Ireland
23 Jul 19
@sophiamorros I was once employed to “Sluice the foul” in a hospital. That is hospital speak for hosing down the sheets of incontinent patients before they went into a gigantic washing machine. That’s the sheets that went into the washing machine, not the patients. And well done to your submariner.
2 people like this
@xFiacre (13149)
• Ireland
26 Jul 19
@SophiaMorros Well then you can suggest to him that he seek work as a foul-sluicer. Just a week or two will suffice.
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
26 Jul 19
@xFiacre he'd manage to avoid it. When he went to Germany he was told he would be working housekeeping for the first three months and then would be allowed to apply for tansfer to another department.
He was there less than 2 days and they put him in the department (outdoor adventures) of his choice. That's the way life seems to roll for him.
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
26 Jul 19
That's a job that teaches a bit of humility. That is one characteristic my first born doesn't seem to have much of.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
26 Jul 19
oh, that's wonderful! what'n interestin' job to've. that job gettin' 'tis tough all o'er. livin''n the islands 'tis rough'n the pocketbook 's their prices're hugely inflated.
"equine education 'n pasture management" :)
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
26 Jul 19
@SophiaMorros thanks :) the i.r.s. 'twas not near's impressed, lol. yer eldest son's most fortunate to possess such. hopefully that'll continue throughout his life :)
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
26 Jul 19
I LIKE your job title! My oldest son typically defies the odds and the statistics and always seems to land on his feet much to the befuddlement of the rest of us!
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
27 Jul 19
That job does sound great and often we have to be patient until the better job becomes available. The only thing is we never know whether one will or not but working any job is better than not working at least until something better comes along.
I didn't know the islands residents didn't like tourists around and the family thing is it may have been ones bitten in the mainland themselves work the most issues about that.
Did you change your profile pic because I thought it looked like you?
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
28 Jul 19
@SophiaMorros there's another Sophia or something similar on here that is also fairly new and without your face shot I don't always know whom I'm seeing out and about.
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
28 Jul 19
@MarshaMusselman sorry if I've caused some confusion.
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
28 Jul 19
The island residents don't mind tourists, they just don't want the tourists to become residents.
I waver back and forth on the profile pic. I was using my head-shot from our last theatre production but decided it was time to retire that and move to something else.
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
26 Jul 19
He'll have to stay out there at least for another year before I can afford to go visit him. Currently he and his girlfriend intend to be back on the mainland before the first of 2020...but as much as he loves this job....
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38219)
• Philippines
26 Jul 19
@SophiaMorros why did he choose Hawaii?
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
26 Jul 19
@sol_cee a whim and a desire to travel a bit more (he's been all over Europe and a bit of North Africa in the past two years thanks to an internship in Germany).
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342077)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Jul 19
@SophiaMorros It sounds like your travel plans might involve going where the kids go rather than choosing your own path. But don't worry too much. They are getting older all the time. 
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
26 Jul 19
@JudyEv made to choose I'd go back to Germany...and be sorely tempted to leave my husband at home 
.
.@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
26 Jul 19
He and is girlfriend are currently only planning to stay through until December. We won't be able to visit him unless he stays at least through fall 2020. We can't afford to keep following him around the globe. (And just to keep things complicated the youngest daughter is hoping to follow the same path he took to Germany in a year or so).
1 person likes this
@LovingMyBabies (85288)
• Valdosta, Georgia
23 Jul 19
That is so amazing and I bet you are SO proud-I know you are!! I'm sure the job will not feel much like a job-that sounds fun!
And, we know the feeling actually. In the small town we are in they are basically the same way--it's not what you know it is definitely who you know which makes things really tough when you haven't been born and raised here...
I have only had pretty regular jobs. Lol.
I'm sure the job will not feel much like a job-that sounds fun!
And, we know the feeling actually. In the small town we are in they are basically the same way--it's not what you know it is definitely who you know which makes things really tough when you haven't been born and raised here...
I have only had pretty regular jobs. Lol.1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
23 Jul 19
You expect that sort of thing in small towns where everyone knows everyone else. You don't expect it in a city like Honolulu. My job titles have all be pretty regular as well.
@Juliaacv (51588)
• Canada
23 Jul 19
Congratulations to your son-that is a great job. I couldn't imagine ever having such a cool job.
I think that the coolest job that I ever had was as an Activity Director at an old age home. I was the bingo, arts and crafts and happy hour girl. That was a great career, although it was also a burn out career and after 10 years I was relieved when they eliminated my full time job due to budget restrictions and a 0 percent tax increase for the city that year.
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
26 Jul 19
The coolest job I've had was teaching first grade. There's something special about seeing a child light up when they realize they can read.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (41750)
• United States
23 Jul 19
None of my jobs was ever cool, but I did work for a short while in a Hawaiian pattern shop. I folded paper clothing patterns and stuffed them in envelopes while I was in high school in Hawaii. Congrats to your son...that's an amazing job!
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
26 Jul 19
It seems more like an extended vacation excursion than a job!
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
23 Jul 19
Congratulations to flash bandit on landing a job.
1 person likes this
@Morethanamom (1948)
• Canada
24 Jul 19
Nothing near as cool as that. I’ve cleaned toilets, hotel rooms, made coffee and flipped burgers. My most career-like jobs were my recent bookkeeping stint and being an accounting technician. Not sure what the future has in store, but I am looking forward to finding out.
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
24 Jul 19
I've not done anything particularly cool either.
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
24 Jul 19
I worked my way through college. Landscaping, kitchen, data entry...
