The Silver Spoon

I have five minutes literally to throw out this post, but if I don't do it now, I'll forget and it's important to me to say what I am about to say.

Work Ethic

One of my favorite former students who is now a twenty year old Italian University student just posted this on facebook:
"How many people wanted to become a star, how many people have ended up at McDonalds flipping Big Macs or frying up donuts? I am so thankful for my lucky star..."

I responded to his post and now I will respond here.

I come from divorced parents and I have been very independent since an early age. I started babysitting when I was thirteen, worked in fast food during high school while playing three sports each year. I worked as a cocktail waitress in college and after college I worked three jobs to pay for more courses towards a Masters in Education..which I never completed because I got pregnant, married and moved here.

I spent four years at the Univ. of Md. College Park.

I can assure everyone reading this blog post that what my experience working in fast food taught me...no course at the University EVER did. Dealing with unhappy, dissatisfied, grumpy people on a daily basis who send back food, complain because the coffee isn't hot enough, who want the damn cream cheese on the side of the bagel teaches you interpersonal, diplomatic skills in a way that taking notes in Psych 101 will NEVER do. Handling money, counting change and maintaining a perfect cash drawer teaches you RESPONSIBILITY and ethics in a way that Calc 220 will NEVER do.

And dealing with assholes who try to pat your butt as you're serving beer without smacking them upside the head, gives you confidence and grace in how you move through your life.

So at this very moment, I would like to applaud the people working in fast food who take extreme pride in their job and who smile at miserable people while working double shifts to pay their bills...on time.

I pity the silver spoon.

*Finished*