My seventeen year old daughter, Jazz, has always been a go getter and extremely independent since she was a young child. She’s always found ways to earn herself money. When she was ten she asked me to buy her a snow cone maker and she sold snow cones that summer out of the garage when we lived in military housing. When she was 13 she started babysitting. She’s been working for the past two years at fast food restaurants. She lost her first job because of it being shut down due to an electrical fire. Before the school year ended last year she landed the job she’s currently working now. Jazz puts up with a lot when it comes to the rudeness of customers and “Karens” because unfortunately we live in a world where people feel it’s their right to take out their anger over simple mistakes by verbally abusing teenagers working for minimum wage over burgers and fries. Still, no matter how hard her day or how ridiculous people act towards her and the staff she works for she puts up with it because she loves earning her own money. I can honestly say that with her work ethic and how she spends her money the girl is the up and coming definition of work hard play hard.
I remember at her first job there was this one time in particular she said a woman stormed in the store from the drive through rudely and loudly demanding to only see a manager. The Karen refused to speak to anyone beyond her additional demands of fetching a manager. Long story short this grown adult woman was furious because the burger she ordered had shredded lettuce and apparently that’s not what she wanted. On top of that the woman never disclosed she even had any kind of lettuce preference. The manager came to the counter and explained how the store only uses shredded lettuce to which only infuriated the lady even more. The Karen tried to argue how Arby’s uses whole lettuce to no avail and ended up demanding a full refund before storming out of the store. “Mom that Karen got kind of scary over lettuce that ends up shredded when you bite and chew the burger anyway” Jazz told me when she got home that night. We laughed about it but in my heart I know I’m just not equipped to tolerate that level of ignorance from any adult. I do my best to show Jazz support by expressing how proud I am of her and her ability to keep cool and remain level headed in those types of situations. I always try and hype her up about how much I admire her tenacity to continue to go in day in and day out and still work as hard as she does. Shortly after she started working at her current place, maybe a week or two into her employment she was told to clean up the bathrooms in the middle of her shift. What she saw in the bathroom that day made my baby almost loose her mind. Apparently an unknown customer’s tummy wasn’t well and they didn’t make the toilet on time and sprayed fecal matter all over the wall, toilet seat, and floor and somehow managed to clog the toilet to the point it over flowed and spilled on the floor. She said she tried to get a manager but was told she had to clean it up because it was part of her job and to hurry up because it was peak hours and they needed her back at the window handing out orders and making drinks. That night she came home like the saddest puppy just looking so defeated. She said to me very seriously, “Mom I almost quit my job today in the middle of my shift and I’m really considering if I’m going to go back to work tomorrow.” I asked her what happened and that’s when she finally lost it. She told me the story in her high pitched voice she uses when she’s upset and trying not to cry and told me all about everything that happened. “Mom was it even legal for them to make me literally clean up that crap especially since I’m still new?!”, my poor child asked, demanding a serious answer. I laughed so hard I lost my breath. Unfortunately if it’s in your job description’s tasks and duties it is what it is I managed to tell her in between laughing and trying to catch my breath. She didn’t quit and as surprised as I am that she didn’t I’m even more proud of her work ethic and commitment to her independence. Overall I’m just happy and honored to be a mom to such an ambitious, independent, and ethical young lady. Mom Life.
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