For the past 10 years, I have woken up to the sound of my dad barking orders at people, chopsaws grinding against metal, and roll off trucks dropping tubs to the ground.
My earliest memory from the salvage yard is the day I first worked behind the counter. I was wearing a dark blue button down shirt with matching pants as well as patches on the shirt with the company's name and mine.
Even though my mom was right there behind me in case I messed something up, I still felt pretty darn important.
Interacting with customers is what I like most about the job.
My parents' salvage yard, called Azimow and Culbertson Scrap Co., is located in Alexandria, Ind., about 15 minutes away from Ball State. I still live close to my family, which is a beast all its own.
It's been a good life, but I can't wait to get away. This is probably the same feeling everybody else has when they first leave for college. For me, I won't be leaving the nest until a year from now, and not before I convince my dad that journalism, especially sports writing, is a worthy career.
I remember wrestling with him over the past few months about how low income can be starting out as a reporter, but I know I can do this. I can handle the long hours and the measly paychecks to start.
I learned about interacting with people and the value of hard work during those 10 years at the yard, and it won't quickly be forgotten.
The memories will always be with me, starting with the time I accidentally cut in between my toes with a chopsaw, a tool that we use to cut through metals such as steel, copper and aluminum copper radiators.
I will never forget the time I was cutting copper off of an air conditioner and my dad came out and yelled "What in the hell are you doing?" because a gas tank was right next to me full of gas.
I will always laugh when I pass a church sign as I'm driving down the road, because it reminds me of the one I hit while driving back from a job site in Kokomo.
The most important thing I will never forget is my fellow workers and customers. I will miss interacting with them on a daily basis and getting to know who they are. I will miss the times my fellow workers and I made fun of my dad for being a jerk and the times we spent working at job sites.
And, I'll admit, I will miss the money I made working for my dad. It helped me a lot with food, gas, school supplies, entertainment and of course, gambling.
My house is actually just about 25 miles away from Hoosier Park casino, and I usually go with friends and people I work with. I go there at least once a week to get away from the scrap life and enjoy the possibility of winning big. That's where I proposed to my girlfriend, Brittani Stapleton, and now we're planning a winter wedding a year and a half away, but it's creeping up on me faster than I'd like.
Despite the sadness I will feel when May comes around, I am ready to move on to a new life. It is time to cherish the old memories and start making new ones.
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