Doing My Time

I'm fairly certain that if, at some point in their lives, everyone was required to work in food service, the world would be a better place.

I am a manager in training at a pizza place. On Wednesdays I am the lunch server. One woman vs a 150 max occupancy dining room for a lunch buffet.

Every Wednesday I lose a little more of my faith in humanity. Every time someone sits at a dirty table because they can't be arsed to sit more than 5 feet away from the actual buffet, I roll my eyes. Every time someone leaves me the 3 cents that was their change from paying for their meal, I sigh. Every time a dude winks at me and calls me 'sweetie' I smile, but think about murder.

I know that the economy is in shambles and the world is an uncertain place, but I have this building feeling of resentment. I'm not sure where to focus it, but I am getting pissed that I have a college education and all I'm doing with it is cleaning up after mom groups who ignore their rowdy children while they make a mess of my back room. When they shake a drink at me and demeaningly ask for a refill, I just want to shout "I have a degree! I am an educated woman! Fuck your refill, I make $2.50/hour here to pay off my $30,000 student loan!"

but I don't. I bring them another diet mountain dew and I do it with a smile. $2.50/hour isn't much, but it's better than nothing when you have a mountain of debt looming behind you...