高中的時候，我做過幾份現在回想起來仍然印象深刻的暑期工作。

我記得有一年的暑假，我到工廠打工。那是一份在生產線上的工作，重複地把一個零件接上另一個零件。每天站在流水線旁，我第一次真正看到那麼多女工和男工一起工作，也第一次靠自己的勞力領到薪水。那種把錢握在手裡的感覺，既新鮮又踏實。不過，那份工作做了幾個星期後，我就辭職了，年少的我還沒有足夠的耐性，卻已經開始認識勞動的重量。

另一個讓我至今難忘的工作，是挨家挨戶推銷電話音樂鈴。那個年代，家裡的電話還沒有語音信箱，如果有人打電話來、需要對方稍等，就會把話筒放在一個會播放音樂的小鈴上，讓對方聽著音樂等待。我背著一大袋電話鈴，一戶一戶按門鈴。很多時候，門一打開，對方只說一句「不要」，門就關上了。那種被拒絕的尷尬與失落，至今仍清楚記得，也讓我很早就體會到，推銷是一件多麼困難、需要勇氣的事情。

還有一份工作，是在我姑丈的建築公司幫忙寫信封。那時候沒有電腦，也沒有可以大量列印地址的標籤，公司必須把廣告一封一封寄到人家家裡。於是他們雇用許多學生，手寫信封上的地址，再把廣告資料一一裝進去。那是一份安靜又耗時的工作，卻也真實地反映了那個年代做生意的方式。

這三份工作，是我高中時期最清楚記得的打工經驗。因為爸爸做生意失敗，家裡的經濟並不寬裕，所以每到暑假，我們都想自己賺一點錢，多少減輕家裡的負擔。對我來說，賺來的錢並沒有存下來，而是多半用在參加救國團的各種活動上。

現在回想起來，我大概是家裡六個兄弟姐妹中，最敢把辛苦賺來的錢拿去參加活動、看世界的人。我一直覺得，生命需要多接觸不同的人與事。年輕時的我，很不甘於貧窮，也不甘於寂寞。記得在國中的時候，我還報名參加過全國大露營，那也是需要繳費的活動，但我仍然鼓起勇氣跟爸爸說我想去。

我們家其他五個兄弟姐妹，似乎都沒有我這樣的性格。而這樣的性格，一直延續到今天。我喜歡到處走、到處參加活動、到處旅行，去看看不同的世界。或許，這也和我爸爸有關。他雖然做生意失敗，卻一樣熱愛旅行，去過日本很多次，也到過中國大陸和歐洲各地。

人的性格，也許真的很難改變，這樣想來，倒也覺得十分有趣。

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During my high school years, I had several summer jobs that still remain vivid in my memory today.

One summer, I worked in a factory. My job was on an assembly line, where I repeatedly connected one part to another. Standing there day after day, I saw for the first time so many female and male workers laboring side by side. It was also the first time I earned money through my own physical work. Holding my paycheck in my hands felt both new and grounding. I only worked there for a few weeks before quitting—at that age, I lacked patience, but I had already begun to understand the weight of labor.

Another unforgettable job was selling telephone music rings door to door. In those days, home phones did not have voicemail. If someone called and needed to wait, the receiver would be placed on a small device that played music while the caller held on. I carried a large bag filled with these telephone rings and went from house to house, ringing doorbells. Many doors opened only long enough for someone to say “No,” before closing again. The embarrassment of being rejected so directly is something I still remember clearly. That experience taught me, at a very young age, how difficult and humbling sales work can be.

I also once worked at my uncle’s construction company, addressing envelopes by hand. At the time, there were no computers or printed address labels. Businesses had to mail advertisements directly to people’s homes, and many students were hired to handwrite addresses on envelopes and stuff the flyers inside. It was a quiet, repetitive job, but it reflected the reality of how businesses operated in that era.

These three jobs are the ones I remember most clearly from my high school years. Because my father’s business had failed, our family was not financially comfortable. During summer breaks, we wanted to earn some money to help, even in small ways. As for me, the money I earned was often spent on participating in activities organized by the China Youth Corps.

Looking back now, I realize that I was probably the one among my six siblings who was most willing to spend hard-earned money on experiences and activities. I have always believed that life needs exposure to many different people and situations. Even when I was young, I was unwilling to accept poverty, and just as unwilling to accept loneliness. I remember that when I was in middle school, I even joined a national camping event, which required a participation fee. Still, I told my father that I wanted to go.

None of my other five siblings seemed to share this personality. And that personality has stayed with me to this day. I love going places, joining activities, traveling, and seeing the world. Perhaps this trait came from my father. Although his business failed, he never stopped traveling. He went to Japan many times and also visited mainland China and various parts of Europe. 

A person’s character may truly be something that cannot be changed—and when I think about it that way, it feels both interesting and meaningful!