Jinn

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I went to the zoo today! The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo!
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For those of you who don't know, Cheyenne Mountain is home to NORAD, a military bunker impervious to nuclear weapons where critical decisions are made. The mountain is also host to a massive Zoo at almost ten-thousand feet above sea level. It's an amazing zoo and has tons of exhibits including the largest captive giraffe herd in the United States. Why am I talking about the Zoo, you might be asking? I went there today, and learned a lesson that I will never forget.

I didn't just go there to visit, however. I got in free- I was volunteering there as a part of court ordered community service. Instead of watching the animals and petting the pretty giraffes, I got to work behind the scenes making sure that the humans (and to a lesser extent) the animals had an enjoyable time.

Why was I doing court-ordered community service? I'm twenty, and the State of Colorado ratified a law making it illegal for those under 21 to consume alcohol. Nonwithstanding that I am a legal citizen at 18, able to vote, pay taxes, be legally responsible for all debts and contracts in my name, and join the army and fight for the United States of America, I cannot drink alcohol. It is the only government-given ability unto which I am not granted access at 18. While it is personally not a law I agree with, the court sentenced me to performing 24 hours of community service at the Zoo. I was, of course, sentenced as an adult due to my age. Being a law-abiding and tax paying citizen of the United States, I naturally must oblige. So -- I went to the Zoo today.. and I get to go tommorow, and the next day.

With the long description behind us, my day at the zoo began at an early 8 am, where I hiked to the elephant outpost at about half way up the mountain. I was excited, as I actually looked forward to a trip to the Zoo and a chance to help out. I had no idea what I would be doing, whether with the animals or not. I would be coming to and from this building many times during the day, during the course of my "chores." I say "chores" because they were jobs normally associated with childhood chores -- cleaning, taking out the trash or sweeping and mopping. I performed the duties of a custodian as well as a janitor. These are service jobs that others consider lesser due to their dealings with the "waste" of other human beings. Apparently, this mentality is shared among many citizens of the city, as I began to realize during the course of my duties at the Zoo. My day began with a simple sweeping of stairs and a mopping of the Giraffe visiting area. Simple enough, and I gladly obliged my new boss - Chris. He was nice enough, and he seemed to want to make my productive without being too difficult. I could have not asked for more - he was respecting me as another human being.

As the park began to open, my duties became more and more people-centric; I began cleaning men and women's bathrooms, restocking their toilet paper and paper towels. I cleaned mirrorrs, toilets, and even urinals. Nothing about this disgusted me, and it was a welcome retreat from the now excessive heat. The temperature outside had raised to nearly 90 degrees, and there was little shade to provide refuge from this heat-bringer. Some of the bathrooms nearest to exhibits were hot themselves, but certainly not as bad as the direct sun. The day progessived relatively smoothly, but I began to notice the people (visiting customers) around me at the Zoo. There was something about their looks -- they were looking at me with a look I wasn't used to -- disgust. Absolutely unbridled disgust. The interesting thing to note was this opened happen when I was holding a broom or a trash bag. If I stood against the wall (I was wearing street clothes) -- no one noticed me. If they did, they smiled or nodded and continued on their way. Children kept toddling along, mostly oblivious to my precense. However, as soon as I opened that trashcan or started sweeping.. things changed. Children slowed down and stared at me, wondering what I was doing. I could tell their innocent gazes held no malice, but their parents were another story. Parents grabbed their children's arms, pulling them away from me. To the lady to saw me and immediately ordered her child to her, I noticed. To the grandmother who sped up and pushed your children away from me, I noticed. Was I wearing something offensive? Did I disgust you becamse I was touching your trash? You don't look at a chef with your face wrenched in distate, but you do look at me that way. Why is that? It is still your food, and you are the only one responsible for turning it from a delectable chef's offering into the mess that it is now. I didn't create this trash, and I didn't even ask to be dealing with it. I'm doing you and your community a service - I'm here for FREE. I'm devoting eight hours of my day to this zoo, helping to make sure that your bathrooms are clean and full of toilet paper. I'm emptying these trashcans so that you don't have to deal with the wretched smell that they can become.

Why then, are you looking at me in that way..? To the lady who smashed the buttons on the handicapped elevator so I couldn't get in with my broom.. I noticed. To the father who stepped on my broom, knocked it over, and didn't apologize.. I did notice. I know you think I was looking the other way, but I saw you. Newly created adults of my generation, you were the worst to me. My generation is supposed to be the one promoting newfound tolerance and acceptance.. and you look at me? To the girl in the red tanktop who looked at me over her shoulder and then laughed with her friend.. I noticed. To the boy with the quiksilver shirt, I saw you sneer at me with your girlfriend. To the couple I saw you on the bench .. you stopped kissing because I was emptying a trashcan on the other side of the pavilion. I'm sorry I interfered with your plans.. but I noticed that look you gave me. To the man with the "I love Texas" shirt who mentioned to his wife that "thats what happens to teenagers nowadays" -- I heard. And most of all.. to the man in the wifebeater who dropped his cigarette, put it out with his shoe, and ground it in while smiling at me -- I noticed. And it hurt. Alot.

How had I suddenly transformed into the evils of society? A man working to clean your Park so that you can better enjoy it, and I'm the scum of the earth? I'm dealing with your trash and waste. I'm carting it a thousand feet up this mountain so that I can dispose of it. I'm baking in this 95 degrees of weather, without suntan or a drink... and you're going to glance at me over your glasses while you sit under that umbrella with your Coke? I haven't drank water in 4 hours, and I have to make the mile loop UP this mountain so that I can clean your bathroom by the monkey exhibits, and you treat me like this. I'm dissapointed in you, Sir.. yes.. the one with the pink shirt and the cell phone who grimaced when you saw me come by with my trashcan. I'm sorry I've offended you with this trash -- I really am. I didn't create this trash, however, and there's nothing I can do about it but throw it away.

As the day progressed, my skin turned further and further towards the reddish hue of the river hogs exhibit and my feet and legs began to feel the work. My legs burned and my toes were forming blisters, and yet I still worked to make the Zoo a more comfortable place. I deserved this treatment and harsh work because ... I had drank alcohol? Maybe they knew.. maybe they lumped me in with those "damn teenagers."

On the fifth trip up the mountain (with a 150 lb cart of trash).. my legs started shaking. This hurts, this hurts a lot. That's all I could think. I couldn't really hear... however.. someone was behind me.. honking their horn. I'm sorry, but I can't move any faster than this..sir..

And thus, the idea was formed. I know why these people are treating me so -- they don't respect me. I'm one of those "damn teenagers" and I'm playing in the trash. I'm disgusting and I probably do drugs. I'm probably getting minimum wage and I'm spending that on booze rather than my pregnant teen wife. I probably raped her too. Keep the kids away from me! Little did you know, Sir.. I'm a sucessful entrepeneur and I'm only 20. I'm me. I'm 6 foot 6 and 200 lbs. I have dreams and aspirations and I want to invent a computer program that really helps people someday. I love my parents, my sister, and I'm a faithful boyfriend. I treat others with respect and I feel "love" for the common man or woman. You don't need to stereotype me because of my age, or what I'm doing. I'm smiling, the least you could do is smile back. You could walk around my broom instead of knocking it over. I know you're out there. The girl who stopped at the concession stand and smiled, I saw you. The old lady who apologized for walking in front of where I was sweeping, I thank you. To the lady with the tattoos and stroller who stopped so I could get in the elevator. Thank you. I respect you, not only as a human but as a mother. I see that you respect me for working.. or being polite, or being young... I don't know. But you respect me. And I thank you. I only hope you will be around tommorow, or Saturday.. to return my smiles or to give me a thanks for making your park cleaner.

And yes, that rainstorm that hit the park at 4 o'clock -- I know I was wet. I was relieved. I was soaked head to toe, and it was the most water I'd seen all day. I don't know if that water on my face was God's tears or mine, but I kept working.. for YOU.

Please God -- Anyone who reads this: don't smirk, sneer, laugh, mock, or abuse your trashman, your janitor, your secretary, your son, your daughter, your mailman.. anyone. Treat everyone like the human that they are; they're just doing their job, or maybe they're doing community service. They have real feelings too, and those things you do .. they hurt. Just because that boy or girl is 10 years younger than you, that doesn't mean they aren't as smart as you. That doesn't mean they don't have people to care for or real life obligations to meet. They're humans living in this world just like you, please treat them as such.

Please.. PLEASE... respect your fellow humans. We notice when you say hi, when you smile, or when you treat us as equals. We really do.

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"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel