DannyBoyinExile

When I was a kid in school (yes, I can remember that far back!), there were many subdivisions amongst the students, that made us feel above or below the other kids on the totem pole. There were nerds, preps, jocks, headbangers, shit-kickers, stoners, and Christians – any one of which they felt made them better than somebody else. But the one person that EACH of them despised, and felt was the very bottom of the social ladder, was the janitor. Once we saw him scrubbing dirty toilets, mopping vomit from the floors, and wiping away boogers that were smeared onto the walls, it was unanimous. He may as well have had leprosy, because we surely feared that he was contagious.
As for me, I was a mixture of the various social groups. I mean, I was in gifted and talented classes with the nerds. I listened to rock music, country music, AND rap music. I played football, I played the saxophone – and I wasn’t scared to puff on a joint, when it came into my vicinity. (Unlike some people, I’ll admit that I DID inhale!)
Who would have thought that in prison, all these years later, the job I ended up being best suited for, is being a janitor! Looking at it that way almost makes me need a joint… (just kidding!)
I live here, like it or not, so I have no problem doing my part to keep it clean. In fact, I WANT it to be as clean as it can possibly be, even if I’m the poor guy who has to get his hands dirty. (So to speak, I mean – I wear gloves for any dirty work.)
Prison is probably the only place on Earth (except maybe an insane asylum) where a janitor is actually considered a rather prestigious job. I’m not lazy, and I AM clean, so I tend to last much longer than the guys who get weeded out pretty quickly. I thought that I was a natural at it, especially in the hallway (which is a pretty high-profile job), until I was fired. Again. Clearly everyone didn’t feel like I was a natural!
So I sat around for a few months with NO job, until I got tired of doing nothing, and got the other Major to give me a job working on his wing, which is separate from the general population. Now I work on the Major’s Utility Squad, which isn’t technically a janitor – but a janitor by any other name is still a janitor, as far as I’m concerned. I even work alongside the regular janitors on a daily basis. The main difference is that I am a part of about six guys who work as a group to tackle the dirt, grime, and detail work on the High Security wing.
I can’t complain, because I would still rather the Unit be as clean as it can be, so I don’t mind doing my part. It’s a never-ending job, to be sure. No matter HOW much we clean – there will always be more fires, floods, food, and bodily substances to clean up, but that’s just a part of life, in prison.
It’s cool to work for a Major again, even if only indirectly, and it still feels good to be someone who is recognized as always willing to help out when I’m needed. The exercise isn’t bad for me, either!
It’s not a job I plan on keeping forever, but it beats laying around and playing with my toy all day. (My tablet!) And if I put in enough hard work, hopefully it won’t be long before I’m noticed for it, and offered an even better job. That’s the American way, after all, even in prison. So says DannyBoy.