TEN YEARS IN HELL
"Go to college", my parents said. "Are you kidding," I replied. "I'm about to get married, I don't need college"! After all, what did they know? I was way too smart to listen to "old" people!
Ha! Another one of my famous "what was I thinking moments". That one decision cost me ten years in hell!
I had it all planned out. Get married, go to work for the telephone company. They were the highest paying company in town at that time. I thought I could get on with them.
The universe has a way of laughing at plans! In retrospect, mine must have been hilarious!
My high school advisor, told me to go take the test, but to wait until she said so. However, being an impulsive person, I didn't wait.
When the advisor found out I had taken the test, she was not happy. She arranged with her friend at the telephone company to tell me I failed the test.
I didn't find that out until years later. In the meantime, I needed a job, so I did the only thing left.
In a small town, without much choice, I applied at the local glove factory. This is a place I never intended to work!
Seems by taking their mandatory test, I excelled in manual dexterity. Who knew?
The different department supervisors fought over my "manual dexterity" skills and finally placed me as a "closer".
"What the heck was a closer"?, I wondered. Didn't take long to find out.
Martha, my supervisor, marched me back to an intimidating, professional size sewing machine. I was familiar with sewing machines, because of taking home economics in high school. However, I had never seen anything like this monstrosity!
My mother sewed at home and she insisted, against my will, that I needed to sew! I totally hated sewing, but here I was, beginning a job in a sewing factory.
"Get used to it", Martha told me smiling. This is your new home!
Oh well, if I got paid for it, I could do it. Besides, I would be here only long enough to find another job. Little did I know, that process would take ten years!
Let me explain the process of getting the gloves to you for "closing" Martha said!
First thing that happens is big sheets of leather go to the "cutters" who place them on a machine with a huge stamp like apparatus. They slam this cutting stamp down on the leather, cutting out various shapes that will eventually end up as a leather glove.
Next these various cuttings will be sent to the sewing department. Within this department, the gloves are assembled.
The palms are sewn together first, afterwards sent to the "thumbers"! You guessed it, they sew in the thumbs!
Then they get "fingered"! I know, sounds dirty, doesn't it, but don't get excited. It's the term used for sewing in the four finger section! Laughing at this, got me dirty looks!
After the "fingering" process, the gloves were then sent to the "closers". My department!
A big case of open palm leather gloves had been pulled up beside my machine. This case contained 6 dozen pairs of gloves. Meaning there were 144 individual gloves needing to be "closed"!
Sitting down, Martha instructed me to watch her for awhile. She picked up the first open glove, folded it together, and stuck it under the huge needle. She then pressed on the foot peddle under the machine and zipped down the sides of the glove, flipped it over and continued around the thumb and the fingers.
Wide-eyed with amazement, I wondered how she managed to keep her fingers from being stitched!
After demonstrating the procedure, she told me to take a seat and start practicing! Scared, I did as told, picked up a glove and began.
Trying to get that first glove together was a real challenge! Several clumsy attempts later, I thought I did a pretty good job until Martha looked at it. When she took the glove and ripped all the stitches out, I knew I failed miserably.
I had one week, to become adept at this process or be kicked out the door!
Not only that, but I had to "get production" or I was a goner! "Production" in my department meant sewing 5 cases per day.....6 dozen pairs in each case.....720 individual gloves per day!!
The type of leather that was brought made a difference also. Cowhide was the easiest to sew, but deer or goat, a different story. The softness of the leather could slow you down.
I was not about to be defeated! Matter of pride, you know. 40 hours later, they decided to keep me. Keep me, they did for ten long years!
As the years rolled by, I got better and better. More pay depended on "over production", so I made a point of "closing" more than 5 cases every day.
Sitting at a sewing machine 8 hours everyday doing the same monotonous thing hour after hour is mind numbing. To offset this, we were allowed to have a radio. There was only one station in the area. That's how I got hooked on country music!
Also, the radio had to be played very loudly which added to the noise pollution of the loud stamping and sewing machines. I'm sure it's the reason I'm half deaf today.
At the end of the day, we couldn't wait to clock out. Once we made it to our cars in the parking lot, sounds of squealing tires could be heard for miles as we all sped home!
Eventually, I managed to escape when I was offered a job as a dental assistant. In those days, no certification was needed, only a little experience. I had gained on the job training in high school when I worked part time for a local dentist.
All jokes aside, factory work taught me valuable lessons. Assembly lines teach co-ordination, co-operation, time management and perfection. Believe me, if the work is not perfect, it's sent right back for a "do over"!! I had many of those before I learned to get it perfect!
I have the utmost respect for factory workers. All work is valuable no matter what the task and deserves to be recognized. In all fairness, I'm glad I got that job, it provided me with a living when I most needed it.
However, to this day, I despise sewing and will not allow a sewing machine in my home! I've had enough sewing to last a lifetime!
Hope you have gained some insight into what it takes to create that leather work or gardening glove you might wear. Thank a factory worker each time you put a pair on!
Remember,
Keep on the Sunnieside!
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Yep!
Now I wonder if I ever wore a pair of gloves you sewed????
CARRY ON....another great piece!
It's highly possible @beekerst!
The glove is very nice and it is taken care of for it, lots of comfort after the glove
I enjoyed reading about your experience, you are right no matter how hard something is you can use it for wisdom.
Maybe one day you will want to sew again and create something of your own.
LOL.....no the last time I sewed was in 1976 the last year I worked in that glove factory. I never want to see another sewing machine as long as I live! Thank you for reading my post!