The lost jobs we miss

By Lora Delhom

One of the first conversations that truly said Delta to me happened this past summer during a garden open house. I was talking with a newly widowed elder who mentioned, almost in passing, that she’d had to learn how to pump her own gas for the first time. Her husband of about fifty years had always done it. And before that, she reminded me, there were gas-station attendants.

I remember telling her how blessed she was to have been so deeply loved — and how quietly profound that loss was. Not just the loss of a husband, but the loss of a way of being cared for in small, everyday ways.

It turns out she’s far from alone.

A new survey of 3,014 adults age 45 and older, conducted by resume.io, found that the gas-station attendant ranks No. 1 among the vanished jobs Mississippians miss most. Before self-serve pumps and pay-at-the-screen convenience, someone else filled your tank, cleaned your windshield, checked your oil, and sometimes asked how your day was going. It was customer service — and human presence — built into daily life. And for elder, arthritic hands and those with physical troubles, it was no small blessing.

Other lost jobs Mississippians feel nostalgic for include the film developer, video-rental clerk, bowling-alley pin-setter, arcade attendant, record-store clerk, and the paperboy — roles defined as much by interaction as by function.

The survey also captured nostalgia for the feel of work itself. Respondents most fondly remembered the clack of typewriters, the smell of fresh photocopies, and the Rolodex — reminders that work once had sound, texture, and rhythm.

In the Delta, small details matter — the difference between convenience and care.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to reheat my coffee and see if “How are you today?” is still in stock.

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