What I have learned at Friendly's

I have finally gotten a raise at Friendly's (woohoo). However, it will soon be lower than the new minimum wage (darn the Maryland Legistature). While I care about my low pay, I should not underestimate the lessons that place has taughtme . The experience it teaches can be practical and useful.

1: endurance. The path to success is a long and strenuous process. In order to succeed, one has to spend years and years on what he does, of course, depending on what he is trying to succeed. At Friendly's, my goal is mostly intrinsic, because the extrinsic value (pay) is pretty low. I wanted to do good icecream and become a good worker. The manager, when she hired me, probably never expected me to do well. However, as time progresses, I can show her, from my work, that I am good at it. Now, she gives me more responsbilities, and whenever I want to get off, she can manage that for me. I may not make good money, but endurance can be useful in the future, when I can use such value to make better money.

2: "You scratch my back; I scratch yours" This should be a very simple motto. However, I don't understand its true meaning till I experience it first hand. In order to have someone to help me, I have to give out something to him first. At my workplace, "something" is labor. When the manager knows that we work hard, she/he would let us take any food for free. However, after a day's work, everyone is exhausted. The chefs would do it for me, if I really want something. However, they sometimes show sign of discontent to me. What I would do is that I ask them, "Hey, want me to hook you up with some ice-cream?" tada...they would do my food; I will do their dessert, and all of us are happy. Sometimes, I take the dishes out for the dish-washer. Therefore, when I ask him to do the heavy work (he is just stronger), he would just do it quickly and happily.

3: Politics. Whenever there are people, there will be politics. People try to manipulate others to get some favors. If one does not ally with anyone, he can be easily pushed around. I try to be fast, diligent to the servers because time is money for them. For other lazy fountainers, I would do their share of work if they just leave irresponsibly. I have been doing more than I should from the very begining. I sometimes ask, "Why the hell am I doing it?" Some managers never see it, but some do. As long as some see it, in the long run, it will pay off. I almost got into trouble with a new worker last week, which i don't want to discuss, but I talked to the manager and I was out of the trouble. the new worker got punished. I believe that if I am not here for that long and I actually do work, I was also in trouble.

4: "Get the hell out of there as soon as I have a chance" Friendly's is not the best place in the work. And I am going to be honest with you. I work there because it is close to my house and I can literally walk to work (not depending on anyone is a great thing). However, I learn my lessons, and I endure the "hardships." As my school year comes to an end, I might actually get a car (woohoo again). If I do get one, I will say bye bye to Friendly's. The older people who work there never went to college. The younger people are mostly high school graduates. This is not the place for me. I want to go to college, get an education, and work in a better job. This is what probably Friendly's has taught me the most. "I hate this job, and whenever I have a chance, I will get the hell out of there." My mom and dad are blue-collar workers, and they had told me to advance myself. I would never learn what they are really saying only after I have worked in such place for 8 frigging months....