Earn While You Learn (or Chocolate Size)

written by: Mr. Clarence G

Give me your tired, your week, your huddled masses" do you suppose that when Emma Lazarus penned these words that she had any idea what we were in store for? Let me recount a story from a couple years back to give an idea of where I am heading. I had gone to a local fast food establishment, I won't mention the name but it was a woman's name that started with a letter near the end of the alphabet between "V" and "X". I took my time and was almost ready to order when I realized that I couldn't find the size listings of the delicious Frosty treat that so many of us have enjoyed from time to time. The gentleman at the counter asked to take my order. His name was Javier and he was a nice clean-cut young man. I gave my order - "jr. double-bacon, fries and can you tell me what size the Frosties come in?" He looked at me without hesitation and stated "Just one size - Chocolate". I looked at him and said. "I'm sorry, I wanted to know what sizes the Frosties come in?" Once again he simply and forcefully stated "One size, Chocolate!" I was dumbfounded! I tried to think if somehow I wasn't clear. I had had to try to communicate with my poor language skills during the war, so I am always a little patient with non-native speakers. So I did what any rational person can do in this instance; I motioned size with my hands while I re-stated my question. Once again I was given the same answer- "One size- Chocolate!" Now at this point Javier's demeanor and answer was getting shorter. I was beside myself, the line behind me growing impatient, but somehow detached from my scenario. I gave it one last shot and was given the answer "One size - Chocolate!" What can I say- I was beaten. "OK, I'll have one of those." I replied with a smile.

I don't blame Javier. In fact it took a great deal of courage to work a busy counter with a lack of necessary skills to perform the task. In fact I have nothing but respect for someone who tries and fails. I guess what troubles me so much about this whole scenario isn't the fact that some of the workers in our cities can't speak the language aptly enough to provide us quality service. It is that the people that employ them have no standards in hiring for the different positions they need to fill. Why is this? Is it just laziness, needing to fill quotas, bodies for spaces? Let me offer another yarn. I once was walking into a local department store chain that shall remain nameless but has a logo that looks like something you would shoot at. This store employed people to stand at the door and greet its "guests" as they entered through the automatic doors. As I entered through the doorway I saw a young pleasant looking teen in his requisite khakis and red shirt. All of a sudden he let out a loud shriek of "Hello", which was akin to that of the beast created in Mel Brooks "Young Frankenstein". It was actually kind of frightening, and not in a good way. He smiled very nicely, yet I wonder if it was the best place in the store for him. Once again, I think that he belongs in the work force, but in a place that is a good fit. Now I know that you are all probably saying, "Sure, let's hide them and not talk about them". That is not what I am saying, I'm just saying that employers should put a little more thought into some of these decisions.

Let's turn this argument around shall we. I am guessing that the work ethic is gone from the manager of the local bun n' run. He is just desperate to get someone to fill a space even if he has to baby-sit him or her. Enter the mush-mouthed American teen who will mumble something incoherent about taking your order and then turn to his cohort and in loud, plain slang exclaim about how Shenqua was going to be mad about what happened at the party last night. This is what we are left with when the typical kid won't work at Mickey D's because it is beneath him since Mom and Dad can afford to keep his lifestyle going with out his contributing a dime. There we find the difference. The white suburban kid would only work to have extras; the immigrant worker will work to survive. This leads the latter to fear the late night supervisor whereas the former will mumble screw you and walk out the door when things get hard. Does this sound like our society as a whole yet? Do we see any correlations yet? I fear that we will work ourselves into extinction soon due to our lack of willingness to work. We (white middle and upper class) are all becoming bigots due to our lack of our work ethic. We separate ourselves from cultures within our own since we think we have a different set of requirements. We have grown to euphoric that all we can do is complain about "the Help". In fact we as Americans have grown comforted by complaining. You get what you pay for! When I was young I paid for it with my life in the war. Now all we do is pay what we can on our monthly credit card statement. We have surrendered to the nobility of credit cards. We have relied on credit ratings instead of how we feel about ourselves. We are too concerned with portfolios, profit margins and waist sizes. We have forgotten to slow down and get back to realizing that a person should like what they do day in and day out, and to feel good about what we have accomplished at the end of the day. This can only happen in steps. In my opinion, the almighty dollar is the great equalizer in the long run. We will have equalized ourselves into disenfranchisement and the low-level job pool. It is time that today's youth look at jobs more as serving their community and not just their best interests. Stepping-stones to a better existence. Maybe they will find that this will change the world all the way up the ladder. Help them develop proper job skills in an appropriate arena. Help us all to save money and if all works out well, for me to get that damn frosty I have been hesitant to order for some years now.

(The views expressed are solely those of Mr. G and any sane thinking citizen. Please adjust your thinking to be a part of the solution and not the problem)

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