Back in college, I got a job as a fry cook at an ice cream place that sold burgers. It was very poorly paid (college town), and the managers were underpaid and arguably mentally ill. I had to wear a bow tie while flipping burgers over a hot grill.
One day, the shift manager yelled at me from the back desk, and said something hateful for the umpteenth time during a busy shift. We were short-handed. There was a line of customers. This was when she had decided to do paperwork, and she was cussing me.
I took off my foam-and-net screen-print uniform baseball hat, ripped off my clip-on bowtie and my apron, and put both into my hat, and put the hat on the counter, with every intent of walking out.
I glanced past the food prep area at the large group of people waiting for their food.
No one was going to get them their lunch if I didn’t. It wasn’t their fault. Most of them had already paid, and those who hadn’t, had already invested part of their lunch hour in coming there.
I put the apron and cap back on, washed my hands, and got their orders out.
But I didn’t put that fucking bowtie back on.
You finish what you started. People COUNT on you, who don’t deserve punishment.
So after finishing your shift and getting those customers fed did you work the next one or head to less abusive pastures?
ReplyDeleteThank you. I know it wasn't written for me, but it helps me a little bit with some stuff I'm going through.
ReplyDeleteHappy to see you posting again. Yeah, I know I haven't written anything myself but I have excuses: I'm happily retired, plus I'm too stove up to shoot any matches for the past year or so. Maybe we can both do a bit more.
ReplyDeleteKudos to you for NOT walking out right then, but I'd have finished the shift and never gone back.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you're still out there.
ReplyDeleteHave had the same moment in a very different line of work and love your ethic. But... how would you identify it in a prospective employee?
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