Work Ethic

The other day my wife and I ate in a restaurant we frequent, it's near the theater we likewise frequent, so when we go to a movie we often have a meal there before or after. There's one waitress there who's our favorite, her name is Julie. She has that uncanny ability to be out of the way when we don't need her for anything, but as soon as we want something she's right there to find out what it is. She's efficient and helpful but at the same time unobtrusive. A glass is seldom empty for long before she's there to find out if we want another, but she doesn't constantly interrupt our meal to see if everything's alright. Honestly, if I were to open a restaurant of my own I'd do my best to hire her away from her current employer. And yes, I've complimented her to her manager and I always tip her well, good work ought to be rewarded.

This is a young lady working in what many would consider a menial occupation, but who does it well. She has the one thing it's almost impossible to teach, a work ethic. There was a time when work ethic was common. My grandfather, an immigrant from Norway, started working at the local ship yard cleaning the bathrooms. He used to say the work was dirty but the money was clean. By the time he died he was a foreman at that very same ship yard.

Nearly every day I encounter people begging for money. I encountered those same people when unemployment was low, when anyone who wanted a job and was physically and mentally capable of holding one was employed. If pointed out that if they could stand on a street corner, in the rain, asking people for change they could stand behind a counter in a fast-food joint asking people if they wanted fries with their meal, they'd reply that such a job was beneath them. I've also encountered people with menial jobs, like emptying trash cans in my office, who did a lousy job of it, all the while complaining about how badly their job sucked. Honestly, if you can't (or more likely won't) do a good job of emptying trash cans, how is anyone going to entrust you with a better, more responsible (and better paying) job? If you are faithful with a little you will be entrusted with more, but if you are unfaithful with a little even what you have will be taken from you.

I don't know Julie's personal story. Maybe, like so many waiters and waitresses, she's an aspiring actress or musician. Maybe she's working as a waitress while she goes to school. Perhaps she doesn't intend to work as a waitress forever, but it's only a temporary job until she gets something better. Regardless, if she brings the same ability, attention, and (if I can use the phrase once more) work ethic to whatever else she does I suspect she'll be successful.