Blockbusters

Well readers I finally made it into the movie business!!

Only kidding ;-) I did my first shift at Blockbusters last night, it’s just to make ends meet until the journalism starts paying off. I did a six-hour evening shift and man I’ve got to take my hat off to the full timers, it’s really exhausting standing up for that long.

I’ve got to tell you readers it feels good to know that I’ve got some money coming in at last. I was starting to get a little worried. Ever since that fiasco with the redundancy package and my bloodsucking lawyers I’ve been tightening my belt. But I treated myself to a nice bottle red last night and take away curry.

Vegetable biryani. Mmmmmm.

My co-workers are an eclectic bunch and I can already tell that they respect my seniority. There’s Leigh (which is actually pronounced Lee! I know, it’s crazy isn’t it?) he’s mid-20s I’d guess and falls into the demographic that my Dad used to call, The Great Unwashed. My Dad was a bastard readers, I’ve not told you about my Dad, maybe one day I will.

I refuse to judge books by their covers, and that’s something you should probably take on board next time you’re in a Blockbusters (not that we’re moving back in time to become an old fashioned book library. Blockbusters is backing Blu Ray, which shows just how forward thinking we are).

Leigh was born and raised here in South London and has what can only be described as a faux Caribbean dialect, he peppers his sentences with the word “innit”. I must say, being a man of words I find this an abomination. That said, he seems to have a heart of gold, and I’ve never seen anyone in such demand!!! His mobile phone was practically clamped to his ear. I think he must know EVERYONE in Croydon. What a character!!

The store manager is a chap called Richard. He’s not short on confidence, I suppose you need that in order to rise so swiftly to the top. He’s a recent business studies graduate, he said he studied at Nottingham, but when pressed revealed it was actually Nottingham Trent University, which is a former polytechnic (I should explain to my American readers, and some of the younger readers from the UK, polytechnics were where people who didn't pass their A levels went). Richard seems to really know his stuff though. I do find him a tad arrogant, but I have to say I certainly see a lot of myself in him. Mind you, he didn’t react quite as I’d have imagined he would when I told him so.

Finally, there's Amber. Like me, she’s only really using Blockbusters as a stop gap measure. She’s an aspiring artist, who specialises in dance!!! She didn’t really say that much, she’s not that kind of girl. This is going to sound weird readers, but in many ways she reminded me of Mum. I love my Mum, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Generous and kind, thoughtful and thought provoking. She’s a vegetarian. Amber, not Mum. Jeesh, Mum probably thinks vegetarians are all lesbians.

I didn’t reveal that I’m a Citizen Journalist, I figure I’ll lie low and do some research in cognito. It’s a bit like being a corporate spy really. I did chat about religion though. Leigh said he supposes he must be a Christian, Richard is an atheist (typical!) and Amber, a Humanist.

Like I say readers, an eclectic bunch.