Eleven years ago (to the day, I believe), I began my term at Walmart, back when it was still spelled with a dash. At that time, I took this picture:

While I was visiting folks in September, I found my old vests back (which is to say my brother had held on to them all this time). Having hauled them back to the Bay with me, I decided that I'd dress up as old cashier Matt for Halloween and wore the vest to work. Here's that same picture updated for modern times:

Looking back, I realized I was quite proud to be working at that store. Moreso than anything, I was probably just happy to have a job, but looking back on it, there was something to be proud of. During my not-quite-two years there, I went from quiet coder to a sociable person who could hold his own in the world. I worked in almost every department in the store in an attempt to be one of the most versitible people there. It was also slightly self-serving in that it allowed me to do something slightly different a lot, but that shit looks amazing in the eyes of management. I topped out at cashier "management", which is really just ensuring the front-end was well manned and that cashiers get their breaks/lunch on time, gaining me the coveted red coat. It didn't last, as I went to cart pusher for the last few months there, but in retrospect, I'm pretty proud of what I accomplished in the little time I was there.

It wasn't a luxurious job, but I'll treasure what that time meant to me... always.