Hitting the dining spots of Morden, I come in contact with a great many young ladies (teens) who serve and waitress in our local restaurants. Chit chatting with them over time, you can begin to build a tiny profile of their likes and dislikes, goals and ambitions. (Of course, they can do the same about me!) It is nothing but a delight to engage in this sort of 15 second banter with them. It reveals many fascinating facets of who they are, and in what they are involved with. But on ocasion, one is blown away by a comment or a reply they make,
Such was the case just the other day.
Driving around the streets of town on the Monday of the August long week-end, with little traffic around, I thought I saw one of these gals strolling on the street.
Upon seeing her the next day at her work, I questioned if it was she whom I saw walking north on 8th Street..
"Yes, it was", and she had gone to mail a letter.
"You were mailing a letter to me?" I asked spontaneously.
"No, I was sending a letter to my sponsor child."
"Your sponsor child?"
"Yes!"
"You sponsor a child?"
"Yes!"
And then she left, and I was in left in a mental haze!
This young, attractive, dynamatic, dramatic, goofy, joyful, fun loving,
and sweet, caring gal, just elevated her stature right before my very eyes.
There will be a new respect paid to her. Her obvious concern for the plight of others is heart warming.
She has a little brother, who admires her very much, and he comes in a large 2XL size, add me to that admiration list.
Who’s painting all young people with the same brush, saying that nothing will ever become of them down the road.
Great teens and kids are still around us folks! You just have to engage them and express an interest in their hopes and desires, and let the dialogue flow. As adults, we can sometimes be pretty intimidating.
I have no idea what formula applies to having great kids. It may be genes, it may be parenting, it may be schooling, it may be the physical and mental environment they live in, it may be unconditional love - who really knows?
All I can say is, when you come across it, savour it, while you can.
3 comments:
Heeeey Harold! WOW. Am I ever proud to have inspired you to write this speech on young people not being COMPLETELY hopeless! Too bad this can't be said for the rest of the people I work with!...Haha ;)
Harold, now I know why I like you so much. I couldn't agree with you more. As an "elder" woman, I believe it is our responsibility to support young people, especially restaurant servers, they often take alot of abuse. I may be old but I remember what it was like starting off on this adventure of life, now responsible for myself. "Take Time To Laugh, it is the music of the soul", could also be "Take Time To Encourage and Engage young adults, it is the music of the soul". I use a special sheet I had made up, its called a Barnabus Sheet - Make My Day. On that sheet of paper I write comments on what I enjoyed about the server, and the job well done. I also mention they should take the sheet and show their manager, so it can be recorded on their personnel file (for future wage and promotion reference). I agree Harold, when you take the time to get to know them you find out we have some amazing, wonderful young people - "Make Their Day" - smile, be interested, and you'll get so much more back from that new friendship you have formed.
Patsy
Very well said. I wish everyone saw this the same way you do because it is greatly appreciated when customers are positive and polite. Having those amazing customers makes going to work everyday worth while.
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