Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Do your job like it matters, because it does.

When my daughter started all day kindergarten, I decided it was time for me to return to work. I wanted to find something so that I was working the same schedule as my children, because I did not want to place them in day care. Working as a lunch lady at a near by elementary school worked out perfectly. However, my mom was less then pleased when I told her I was going to be a lunch lady. She said, “I could do better.” When I explained to her that this job would allow me to be with my kids before and after school, but more importantly it will allow me to go back to school to get my teaching certificate. Than she was all for it. Even though I had never envisioned myself working in a cafeteria I resolved that while I was there, I was going to be the best cafeteria worker I could be. I have always felt that there is value in any job a person undertakes. That is why I like Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs so much. He treats every person and every job with such respect. And it does not hurt that he is very good looking as well. It is also, why I always admired the late Johnny Carson. He treated every guest on his show whether they were the most famous movie star or the little old lady who ran a library is some small town with the same respect, kindness and genuine interest. That is something that both Leno and letter could stand to learn. Another thing that makes cooking for roughly 450 students tolerable is the fact that I really like the women I work with. They are incredibly strong women who have raised their families and are now enjoying the fruits of their labors, namely grandchildren. We just seemed to click when we first met; we have the same work ethic, a strong sense of faith, and an odd sense of humor. I have laughed more at this job then any other job I have held and there have been 12 different jobs since I entered the work force many many many years ago. It would be interesting to see how many different jobs and what kind of jobs people have held, but that is a post for another day.

1 comment:

IHeartQuilting said...

Hi Momster, RT sent me. I'll link you on my blog.

My kids LOVED some of their Lunch Ladies in Jr High and High School. Some were the moms of their friends, so they interacted with them and in rare cases, managed to grab a free lunch when they didn't have any money.

It is an honest living, and there should be no shame attached to it. Frankly, I'd rather be a lunch lady than do some of my past jobs/positions. And because my kids would talk about them, I knew the lunch ladies were making an impression on the kids.