But you can't take your frustration out on the frantic lady working the register, who is overworked at a job whose daily tedium and meaninglessness surpasses the imagination of any of us here at a prestigious college.
On the one hand, I think that it has taught me a lot to work a pretty meaningless, stupid job. It has given me a lot of perspective on how the "other half" (or other 98%) lives.
On the other hand, there is a certain arrogance in thinking "this person has a miniumum wage job that seems boring, therefore their life must be endless tedium that makes them want to die, because having never done that job, it seems horrible, and my life as an educated person must be so much better than theirs is, they must envy me."
I don't think low-wage workers have a monopoly on tedious, meaningless work. Most of my co-workers do not seem like their souls have been crushed.
At this point my main problem with my job is that it makes me bored. And that I have to work random hours instead of the same hours every day/week.
I do spend a lot of time thinking about liberal arts stuff, though. the protestant work ethic, consumer capitalism, etc. that makes me less bored.
The reason those rude evangelical ladies stood out to me is that I have been really impressed with how polite and friendly most of my customers have been.
I'm terrified, looking forward, for the week or so after Thanksgiving when the Christmas music starts playing. One customer, after we joked about the bad muzak they play in my store, said "I actually complained to the manager about the Christmas music last year. I think making you guys listen to the chipmunks Christmas song all day is cruel and unusual."
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Topic: Today I'm gonna... (Read 1344778 times)