Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community  

Go Back   Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community > The Academy > Tilted Life


 
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 07-14-2005, 05:49 PM   #1 (permalink)
Lover - Protector - Teacher
 
Jinn's Avatar
 
Location: Seattle, WA
My lesson in respect.. (long)

<CENTER><img src="http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:BkVRldnCip4J:www.cathouse-fcc.org/gifs-jpegs/southafrica/giraffewalk.jpg"></img>

I went to the zoo today! The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo!
</CENTER>

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.
__________________
"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
Jinn is offline  
Old 07-14-2005, 06:14 PM   #2 (permalink)
Junkie
 
Location: LI,NY
That was very well written. Lesson learned. I hope more people learn what you learned in 8 long, hot hours. Everyone deserves respect, whether they are doing a job for money or for community service. They are doing jobs that not many people want to do, and deserve our thanks, or at very least a smile.
__________________
"Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles." ~Alex Karras
Meditrina is offline  
Old 07-14-2005, 06:22 PM   #3 (permalink)
Wicked Clown
 
Ishmal's Avatar
 
Location: House Of Horrors
that is a very good message...

thanx for that JinnKai.
__________________
"Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular."
Ishmal is offline  
Old 07-14-2005, 06:30 PM   #4 (permalink)
Unencapsulated
 
JustJess's Avatar
 
Location: Kittyville
This is actually something that I keep in mind at all times. I'm in HR, so I meet everyone - the entire hierarchy of people from the Housekeeping Aides to the Doctors. And I make sure that all of them receive the same courtesy from me. The woman who cleans our offices (Ana) is a nice girl with a quick laugh, and she's just making a living, like I am. I like her better than the AVP that came in today, actually - she's much nicer. We all just have different jobs.

When Q and I were on our honeymoon, we stayed at the Four Seasons in Maui. Pretty swank, I know! We enjoyed all the hard work the staff does to make you comfortable, but noticed and were horrified at the attitudes displayed by the people around us. They ignored the people coming to refill their water at the poolside, or the ones with fruit to offer, or anything.. they just ignored them, didn't thank them, nothing. It was disgusting.

Thanks for reminding people not to suck so much. It's interesting, though depressing, to hear how it is for the person in that position day in and day out.
__________________
My heart knows me better than I know myself, so I'm gonna let it do all the talkin'.
JustJess is offline  
Old 07-14-2005, 07:31 PM   #5 (permalink)
Future Bureaucrat
 
KirStang's Avatar
 
Wow. Very good. I had noticed where I worked (At a restaurant), that people began to see me more as a cog in a machine, rather than a human being. This story exemplifies that perfectly. Thank you for this post.
KirStang is offline  
Old 07-14-2005, 08:11 PM   #6 (permalink)
Tilted Cat Head
 
Cynthetiq's Avatar
 
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
Nice, we take these things for granted.

In 5th grade I remember the teacher at my parochial school say, "Don't throw your garbage on the floor, God made the janitor for better things than picking up your trash."

A human being is a human being. I try very hard to not look at them with disdain for they may not be what I think they are on the first impression.

Sometimes I don't give a homeless person money. Sometimes I just sit and talk to them like a normal human being. I talk to them about their family, their dreams, their aspirations. Human contact is an important thing and you've underlinded that with large heavy scribbles.
__________________
I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

Last edited by Cynthetiq; 07-14-2005 at 08:13 PM..
Cynthetiq is offline  
Old 07-14-2005, 08:18 PM   #7 (permalink)
Filling the Void.
 
la petite moi's Avatar
 
Location: California
Bravo! Your story is a point well made.
la petite moi is offline  
Old 07-14-2005, 09:26 PM   #8 (permalink)
Lover - Protector - Teacher
 
Jinn's Avatar
 
Location: Seattle, WA
Gettin' ready for my second day of it!
__________________
"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
Jinn is offline  
Old 07-14-2005, 10:00 PM   #9 (permalink)
Upright
 
Thank you very much for such a heartwarming post.

Community service and crappy jobs are probably two of the most valuable avenues of enlightenment when it comes to the job world. The former teaches you about what you should do for the good of society, and both teach you about what you shouldn't take for granted.

I'm 18 myself. Fortunately I have never run into the law while drinking. I don't drink much, but it would be just my luck to get into trouble for doing so on one of the rare occasions I do drink. My 16 year old cousin just got in trouble in the state of WA for having rougly the equivalent of half of a drink in her system when the cops busted the party she was present at. She got her driver's license taken away for 3 months and most likely had to do community service as well. As I understand it, the judge was very generous by only taking away her license for 3 months, but for her, a teenager in rural WA, her license is her only means of social liveliness.

I personally just worked for 3 days at a small telemarketing company. I already hated telemarketers before I started the job, and those 12 hours of work really showed me the reasons why I hated them. Yet, it's the concept, not the people of telemarketing that I hate.

Again, you'll remember this for the rest of your life. Keep up the good work and try to avoid getting mixed up with the law. Let the real criminals do that.
zakool21 is offline  
Old 07-15-2005, 05:32 AM   #10 (permalink)
Junkie
 
sapiens's Avatar
 
Location: Some place windy
That was very well-written and a good message. Thank you.
sapiens is offline  
Old 07-15-2005, 06:36 AM   #11 (permalink)
Talk nerdy to me
 
God of Thunder's Avatar
 
Location: Flint, MI
Very well written, and a very good lesson. One I have already learned.

I worked for four years as a janitor/maintenance crew for a local retail store. It disgusted me on daily basis how nasty, dirty and down-right skanky people can be when they know other people are cleaning up ther mess. We arrived at 7am and the store opened at 10am. So for 3 hours we cleaned the store top to bottom without customer interruption. I must say we did a pretty good job.

On most days the bathrooms were filthy by noon to 1pm and on weekends they were completely disgusting by 11 am at the latest. That means it only took the public roughly an hour to completely destroy a bathroom. And I'm sorry to point out, the women's restroom was always the worst. Some of the disgusting things people would leave behind that you are postive they would not do in their own household would amaze me on a daily basis. Dirty diapers left out on the counter, human feces all around the toilet, etc.

The biggest surpise is when I discovered that women liked to use the dressing rooms as a toilet. We found all sorts of interesting "surprises" the the wastebaskets. I caught a woman letting her son piss in the corner of the dressing room. "Well, he had to go!" was her reason. I pointed out where the bathrooms were. "I was busy trying on clothes" she responded. "Would you let him do that at home?" I asked. "NO" she resonded as she huffed off, kid in tow. We closed off the fitting room the rest of the day and I informed everyone who inquired why that a mother let her little boy use it as a bathroom. Some people actually responded with "So, what's the big deal?"

I didn't mean to threadjack, but I agree with what JinnKai and others have mentioned. Not only to treat others with respect, but have some common decency and respect while you're out in the world. Don't take a piss in a trashcan just because you know some other poor soul has to clean it, not you. If I find you doing that, I will come over to your house and take a big dump in the middle of your bed, and I'll have Taco Bell for lunch.


And, even though I've never been to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, thank you for cleaning it to make it a better experience for the people who are there.
__________________
I reject your reality, and substitute my own

-- Adam Savage

Last edited by God of Thunder; 07-15-2005 at 06:39 AM..
God of Thunder is offline  
Old 07-15-2005, 07:03 AM   #12 (permalink)
Junkie
 
Moderator Emeritus
Location: Chicago
That was beautifully written and made me feel very sad...

On behalf of my fellow human beings I'd like to apologize to you and all others who have been treated poorly.

I do a bunch of volunteering myself, not because a court orders me to, but because I want to, and I'm very familiar with those looks... but the looks I've gotten are more about what'd you do so terrible that you are cleaning something or painting osmething when you don't have to. (the concept of giving something wihtout expecting anything in return is completely foreign to a lot of people)

I would like to think that I treat everyone with the same amount of respect as I would want to be treated with, but realistically, that's not the case, I don't always pay attention to my surroundings... But I know I have never gone out of my way to look down on a person for doing any kind of honest work... and it irrititates the hell out of me that someone would...
__________________
Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.
maleficent is offline  
Old 07-15-2005, 07:17 AM   #13 (permalink)
loving the curves
 
kramus's Avatar
 
Location: my Lady's manor
Folks who work doing the workday maintenance of parks and buildings usually have some pretty interesting or funny takes on their place of work -sometimes chatting with the staff has a win/win because they'll tell you of good parking, or a nice place to sit and picnic
__________________
And now to disengage the clutch of the forebrain ...
I'm going with this - if you like artwork visit http://markfineart.ca
kramus is offline  
Old 07-15-2005, 09:31 AM   #14 (permalink)
Sauce Puppet
 
kurty[B]'s Avatar
 
Great points Jinn. I'm with Cynthetiq also, sometimes a basic conversation with what "most upstanding citizens" consider the dregs of society are the best conversations I've ever had.

I always try and smile at everyone, and always smile back when given a smile, and if a girl smiles back when I smile at them they can probably expect me to say "Hi, my names Kurt, how are you doing today?"

I must say JinnKai, I could NOT have retained a smiling face throughout the day you described. After the temps get above 90 the smile on my face disappears, and after the incident with the guy putting his cigarette out and then rubbing it down with his foot and smiling I probably would have been asked to volunteer somewhere else for saying something like "Thanks Dick, why don't you go pee against that wall over there so I have to mop that up too!"

Good luck with the other two days of volunteering!
kurty[B] is offline  
Old 07-15-2005, 12:13 PM   #15 (permalink)
Crazy
 
Location: Virginia
I'm not trying to derail this thread, but I would like to highlight the three jobs I had. They were horrid jobs by defination of being respected in that sense. I apologize as well for being so long, but I feel I must give as much info as I can without seeming that I'm being a troll.

My first job was in a local department store similiar to a clothing store but with other things. That one was fine.

My second, third, and last job was the kick in the pants and a lesson in life. My second one was at a data collections type place. You know, those people that call you in the middle of supper to do surveys. I have a higher respect for those people now. I was cursed every day for 4 to 6 hours a day. Mind you, in that type of job you have quota's to meet. Fortunately, there were enough kind people that would sit and answer questions and tell the good or bad of their experiences based on the survey. Then there were those that would just curse you just because you called. They wouldn't hang up and you weren't allowed to hang up on them. So, they would continue to curse you while you had to sit there and take it. Company policy. No rudeness to the other side regardless of what you were being hit with. After 8 months, I fled crying and a nervous wreck.

My third job was at a airline reservations call center. Now, the irony of it was, we don't have a airport in this area, and the flights were no where near us. But, if we, the employees, wanted to use our benefits to fly, we had to travel several hours to the airport to use them. This airline is now shut down due to bankrupcty (it was a small airline trying to build up but failed). But, every time a flight was delayed, canceled or whatever, we were flooded with calls all day thru the night about the dissatisfaction. I know we represent the company but damned, we can't do anything about the engine problems, or delays. We could only make your reservations, canceled them, or reshedule. We weren't able to do much in the form of customer service. We were cursed every day as well. There were the good days as well as the bad.

The last job I had, which was the last time I worked and probably will never again unless I absolutely have to was the kicker for me.

I was the janitor in the local post office. Oh my god. I can relate to the looks of disgust, people moving far away from you, and dropping their junk mail in the floor. The people here would spit their tobacco juices in the trash cans after the bags had fallen down and it'd be all of the cans. Some of the others would come in with heavy mud on their shoes, dried and wet kinds, and seem to stomp their feet as they went. The post master was a bitch from hell and no matter what I did it wasn't good enough. I told her once that our Mean Green cleaner was low and needed more. She said I had another two weeks of use in it and wouldn't order it. So I used it sparingly, and told her again as it got lower. When I finally ran out, I was yelled at for not telling her sooner.

People tend to teach their children these things without knowing it. They teach them that it's the "business suit" jobs that are only the ones worth showing respect to. Janitors and the like are the "shit jobs" and those people are too sorry to do anything else in life.

Why? Because they unconsiously don't want to see themselves nor their children in a shit job. Whether or not they like it, they are branded these kids for life by acting this way.

Coal miners are around here. This was and is returning to being a coal booming area again. Those guys, and the few ladies would do that job, are looked at horridly as well. All because they're "dirty". Those guys make quite a bit of money. In this area, anything above 10 bucks a hour is a good job regardless of what you do. But, the jobs aren't that avaible as in a city.

A job is a job no matter what it is. Income is the way for people to support themselves in what they need. A home, power, food, and such. Alot of things are luxuries but necessary in a way. As long as you're doing what you can for your family, then you are doing the best in the world.

To all those that have jobs that are looked upon with disrespect or whatever, I salute to you for standing by what you do. Thank you to each of you who do what you are doing, whether you are a janitor, mechanic, cook, or whatever. You are providing each person your services and should be proud of it. You might be doing that job til you can find a better one. You are progressing your ladder. Not someone else's.

Everyday that I deal with anyone in the public, I smile at them as well as talk to them as if they were my best friend. I have had many times those people look at me in shock, only to find out that they've had a bad day and I'm the only nice one that they've dealt with.

This world is too uptight. Strangers need companionship and social interaction. That person you smile at today or help, just might have given them the incentive to push thru the day. Remember, if you don't smile at them, they're never going to smile back. Warmth and caring goes alot futher than cold and hatred.

Suzz04
Suzz04 is offline  
Old 07-15-2005, 12:26 PM   #16 (permalink)
Kick Ass Kunoichi
 
snowy's Avatar
 
Location: Oregon
I don't think it has ever occurred to me to disrespect someone who is performing a service for me. My parents taught me that everyone is worthy of respect. This stems from having grandparents who worked their asses off to gain the American dream and seeing the results of all their hard work. One of my grandfathers worked three janitorial jobs for years, working for various doctor's offices. My mother once went with her father to work and she couldn't bear the looks people gave him--not only was he a janitor, he was a cripple to boot. But my grandfather eventually started working for Boeing and was the head janitor at one of their plants for years. There, evidently, things weren't so bad.

I've worked some really shitty jobs in my time and cleaned my fair share of public restrooms. People are gross. Personally, I always try to clean up my mess as much as possible--at restaurants, at movie theaters, in the restroom, etc., so someone else doesn't have to do it for me. Sure, they get paid to clean, but no one should trash a public restroom just because of that fact.

It amazes me the things parents pass on to their children. Everyone is worthy of good treatment, regardless of who they are. Everyone.
__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau
snowy is offline  
Old 07-15-2005, 01:12 PM   #17 (permalink)
Pip
Likes Hats
 
Pip's Avatar
 
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Well written, thanks for sharing your experiences. Keep up the good job, both in keeping the zoo a clean welcoming place and spreading the word on respect.
Pip is offline  
Old 07-15-2005, 01:21 PM   #18 (permalink)
Evil Priest: The Devil Made Me Do It!
 
Daniel_'s Avatar
 
Location: Southern England
I have over the years come to the unalterable conclusion that in general the lower down the corporate heap you are, the more humanity you exhibit.

I have never yet met a janitor or cleaner that wasn't interesting and interested, and I have never yet met a Director or Chairman that wasn't a total cunt.

I hope to be proven wrong, but I fear that I will not be.

A time at the base of the pyramid is important for everyone. If our leaders had to shovel shit for a month a year, they might realise that if it wasn't for the shit shovellers we'd all be knee deep in the stuff.
__________________
╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗
Overhead, the Albatross hangs motionless upon the air,
And deep beneath the rolling waves,
In labyrinths of Coral Caves,
The Echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand;
And everthing is Green and Submarine

╚═════════════════════════════════════════╝
Daniel_ is offline  
Old 07-20-2005, 10:20 AM   #19 (permalink)
Lover - Protector - Teacher
 
Jinn's Avatar
 
Location: Seattle, WA
Just thought I'd provide an update in case anyone was curious about how the rest of the days went. On Saturday, I was much more prepared.. with shoes instead of sandals, and a better attitude towards how people would react to me. In return, I noticed more smiling people, and I had a much better day. By Sunday, I'd gotten used to the hard physical labor and actually started to enjoy the company of the other community service workers. By the end of the day, I was simply glad to have finished it all.

Saturday did provide another good lesson, so I chose to share this lesson as well.

My lesson in happiness
Much like my lesson in respect, this lesson came to me while watching other people go about their daily activities. There is a certain satisfaction that comes from learning about people, and I think it often assists us in defining ourselves.

My observation this day specifically revolved around another worker: Steven. When I first arrived on Saturday, Steven was sitting on the wicker chair outside the maintenance building. He had a scowl on his face, and he avoided making direct eye contact with me. I'd no idea why he was so forlorn, so I took note but moved on and clocked in for the day. I already knew the day would be warm, as the temperature rose to almost 80 degrees by 9 am. As I talked to my supervisor about what she'd need me to do for the day, Steven still sat by, with the same plastered-on grimace. Had he been stricken with a horrible sentence in the Colorado courts? Was he simply angry at being here that day? This was a mystery I would never fully solve, although his actions later would solidify my lesson. My supervisor told me that I would be doing "litter pickup" and that Steven would be doing sweeping. He muttered something oddly arcane, stood up, and grabbed a broom. Before I had even moved to get the trash bags and latex gloves I would need, Steven was sauntering off to perform his duties. As he walked down the asphalt path and turned the corner beyond the dumpster, I could still see the anger resonating from his face. There was no doubt in my mind that something had made Steven very angry, but I wondered what? As I went to grab my gloves, I jokingly chirped, "Happy guy, eh?" to my supervisor. Her face morphed into a sad smirk, and she replied.. "Yea, that guy never really smiles. Not happy to be here, I guess--"

For me, this presented an interesting new place to direct my observations. I wanted to know what made Steven so angry that he couldn't bring himself to put a smile on his face....

... no, nevermind. This story sucks. Well, at least I'm done with my community service.

Adios.
__________________
"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
Jinn is offline  
Old 07-20-2005, 11:09 AM   #20 (permalink)
Crazy
 
that's a real dick move.
dualman7 is offline  
Old 07-20-2005, 11:59 AM   #21 (permalink)
will always be an Alyson Hanniganite
 
Bill O'Rights's Avatar
 
Location: In the dust of the archives
Quote:
Originally Posted by JinnKai
Well, at least I'm done with my community service.
Well, it sounds to me as if you took quite a few lessons away from it. Maybe not ones that the court intended...but valuable ones, nontheless. Carry those lessons with you, as you progress with, and succeed in, life. The ride will be made that much more pleasant.
__________________
"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony

"Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus

It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt.
Bill O'Rights is offline  
Old 07-20-2005, 01:08 PM   #22 (permalink)
Addict
 
Location: Amish-land, PA
Quote:
Originally Posted by JinnKai

... no, nevermind. This story sucks. Well, at least I'm done with my community service.

Adios.

I hate cliffhangers.
Finish the damn story



Anyway, I never worked in a job that was as bad as the community service that you had to perform. I was a baker, which had some customer-service portions to it, but for the most part I was respected. I think. Besides, the white coat helped (people always respect you if you wear a white coat...).

Reading your above story really gave me a chance to see what people who work janitorial jobs have to go through. I never looked down at them - even in high school, I was always friendly with the janitors and night cleaners (the janitors always have all the inside information on the inside happenings). Now, in my suit-and-tie job, the janitorial staff still commands respect from me. The do a job that I would hate, in conditions that are far worse than anything I'd be able to stomach. Sure, some of them have poor education, or might be mentally handicapped, but a job well-done is still the most important thing in deeming respect. All human beings are still human, and a job should not correlate to self-worth.
__________________
"I've made only one mistake in my life. But I made it over and over and over. That was saying 'yes' when I meant 'no'. Forgive me."
TM875 is offline  
Old 07-20-2005, 08:06 PM   #23 (permalink)
Tone.
 
shakran's Avatar
 
one of the best parts about being a photojournalist is the perspective it gives you on what really makes someone a worthwhile person. You learn pretty quick it has nothing to do with money. Of all the people I've interviewed over the years I've done this job, one of the guys I had the most respect for was a hobo fresh off a freight in Nashville. Had 2 dollars to his name, the clothes on his back, and a 3-legged dog. He taught me more about respect and humanity than just about anyone else I've ever met, and it didn't take impressive material trappings to make him impressive.
shakran is offline  
 

Tags
lesson, long, respect

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 01:55 PM.

Tilted Forum Project

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2
© 2002-2012 Tilted Forum Project

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360