My little helper
While I was working tonight, I had the unfortunate task of disposing of all of the garbage from the various trash cans littered about the restaurant (McDonald's).
Normally, that job is boring and takes forever -- it gives me plenty of time to start feeling like I'm on the lowest rung of the employed-persons ladder. I drag a big, smelly, blue bin around on wheels, and throw huge, even smellier trash bags into it; not exactly career-material labor.
Tonight, my menial task was interrupted rather suddenly when a young boy (I'd say about 4-5 years old) skipped over to me in the playplace (you know, that area with the wacky tubes and such). He promptly greeted me kindly, and asked me what I was doing. I explained the job, expecting him to lose interest and dash off when I finished; instead, he walked right on over and tried to hold a door for me, when he saw me struggling to fit the bin through it while holding it open by myself.
I was surprised, and more than a little heartwarmed by his attempt to help; it was cute. After I thanked him and took a load of garbage to the back of the store and returned for more, I found that he was waiting for me at the door. He started to tell me about his trip to Kennywood with "mommy" earlier that day, then took a moment to ask me if I needed more help; after I assured him that I would be fine, and thanking him again, he continued, and went on to tell me that he was waiting for "mommy" to bring back some ice cream for him. For those of you that don't know, I absolutely LOVE ice cream -- so that was one feeling that I could relate to, at least in some small way. He kept on chattering for a few more minutes, following me from trash can to trash can as I went about my business, until at last his mother returned and I left to finish collecting garbage elsewhere.
Anyways, the point is, this encounter really made my day brighter, something I desperately needed; it got me thinking, too. Though my job is not exactly one that I would ever want to stick with for the rest of my life, and I get paid very little money, it still has its high points -- and I get paid in little ways that others don't. I tend to complain about my job sometimes, but when it comes right down to it, it has given me some memories that are worth much more than the money I would have made at a higher-paying job by now.
It's been a rough week for me, and I've been feeling pretty worthless; but this incident really made me feel human again. It was reassuring, to know that I could connect with a kind soul, even if it was only for a few minutes.
So wherever you are, my little helper, thanks again for lifting my spirits, making me realize how the most humble jobs can be the most rewarding, and sharing my passion for cold treats. You reminded me that sometimes the biggest help comes from the smallest people.
Comments
Awesome, Mike. Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely look into taking that class soon. I'll be sticking with the Setonian this semester, too, so maybe you could show me some of the new tricks you learned.
Posted by: ChrisU | July 6, 2005 9:37 PM
Hey Chris it's Mike (think Tap shoes),
your entry reminded a little bit of a story by Antoine Saint-de-Exupery called The Little Prince (if you haven't read it yet, it's short and philosophical and imaginative)...
I just finish my photography class and I remembered you asking me about it...I suggest that you do take Black and White Photography...I learned so much in my summer class...I can't wait to apply them to the Setonian...I understood more about the effects of light (that's why photography was so influential to the impressionists)...I think it will help you...
my teacher Jon Spielberg (who is a real first cousin of the famous Steven Spielberg) was hilarious. However, a caveat: black and white photography is a bit costly because of the supplies...but the circumstance might be different because I heard from my teacher that black and white photography might change dramatically...he said that black and white photographywill go digital in a sense that you will still use black and white film (with silver 'bromide' halicides) and develop the film in a dark room using chemicals BUT rather than processing prints with photsensitive paper, you will be scanning the negative in a computer...
black and white photography is really fun, like what my teacher said, "there's magic when serendipitous effect reveals a beautiful image that you've rightly captured..."
Posted by: Mike D. | July 4, 2005 10:06 PM
Thanks, you two. It means a lot to me to have your support.
As far as an internship goes, I've given it some careful thought and I would prefer to wait until the end of my sophomore year to apply for a photography one; that way, I will have more "news" photos to put into an application portfolio (photos from the Setonian). I'm also taking a few graphic arts courses this year, so I will be able to learn a few new skills and polish some of those I already have.
Posted by: ChrisU | July 1, 2005 9:31 PM
*Ahem*Trib photography internship*Cough*
Posted by: Amanda | July 1, 2005 3:58 PM
I hope that you can step back and look at how much you've grown in the last year, Chris. There's depth in this post that I'm pretty sure you haven't felt yet. I definitely agree with Amanda.
As far as the job goes, while it's true that there's definitely something to be learned from every step of the ladder, you need to get off the lower rung to keep climbing on. Time for you to move on, my friend. There are a lot more challenges out there that you'd be perfect for.
Posted by: Neha | July 1, 2005 10:09 AM
How anyone as wonderful as you are could feel worthless is beyond my comprehension. In your honest words here, you prove yourself.
In less-than-perfect circumstances, you usually find good, despite what you think. These small, yet infinitely meaningful details of everyday life that you mention, most people miss, but you, oh reflective soul, you take them to heart.
I may just fall for you all over again. :)
Posted by: Amanda | June 30, 2005 6:11 PM
Thanks for the heads-up, Karissa. I only use Firefox on my laptop, so I didn't notice the problem, but I tried adjusting the layout a bit just now to fix it.
While I'm thinking about it, I have a question you might be able to answer for me, too: when following links on my blog to the pages for individual entries, the blog part of it is the same size as it is on my index page (the middle section, where my entries appear), only it is smushed against the left-hand side... Do you know what I would need to change to get it to stretch to fill the screen (like it does normally) on the individual entry pages? Any help would be appreciated.
Posted by: ChrisU | June 30, 2005 1:46 PM
That's a really sweet story, Chris. Little kids can brighten our days when we least expect it sometimes.
P.S. I like the new look :-) Your right-hand sidebar is hidden a tiny bit in my browser (Firefox) FYI. I think I like your new design because I'm a snow-lover, too!
Posted by: Karissa | June 30, 2005 11:45 AM
Humility is a priceless lesson.
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz | June 30, 2005 8:54 AM