It's Not a McJob!

     Some of us long-time Station residents remember Shear’s Pharmacy, which for years had one of the only copy machines in the 11746. Put a nickel in, hit the button and you got your copy. It was a private consensual relationship between person and machine.  Now, one is required to go to Staples* and use a debit or credit card and there is any number of options on the screen from which to choose.  What is the difference between “copy” and “print?” Why would I do one without the other?  Using the debit card now brings my bank into the mix. How is it their business? This will go onto my Experian credit report and can be viewed by the NSA. Thanks a lot, Patriot Act!

     By bringing along most of my semi-paranoid suspicions and delusions into Staples with me I created a needlessly stressful event but was determined to accomplish this technological feat on my own, without a Staples employee wondering how a person who couldn’t do this was allowed to drive a car. I made the copy and pointed this out to a Staples employee who said, with a big smile on her face, “I have the BEST customers!”

     Many people may assume a job at Staples is not the most stellar use of their education and ambition but I was impressed that this young lady chose not to look at it that way. Bringing her generous nature and personality to the job, truly engaging in it made a huge difference. With her attitude, she will have the best customers.

     For almost 4 years I accompanied my recently paralyzed friend Rick to a weekly appointment with a psychologist in a hospital.  There was a receptionist who made it his business to know every patient and caregiver.  Initially I thought it unique that we connected over a shared fondness for the HBO series Treme but soon found that he knew something special about everybody, even if it was just whether they were a Yankee or Mets fan.  I noticed that this busy waiting area, which served many mentally and physically challenged people, ran much more smoothly when he was there.

     Other workers in his position did not have the gift for interaction he did or the concern and caring needed to serve this diverse population. Hospital receptionist?  Not a dream job for many but he brought serious game and it had a real impact.

     Another class of workers we dealt with regularly was ambulette drivers.  This was right after the economic collapse that worked out so spectacularly well for the 1% you might have thought they planned it that way.  Many drivers had been laid off from better paying jobs and were understandably bitter about it but one fellow, Jermaine, would sing gospel songs when driving us.  I have every reason to believe he spent his time waiting for us by praying for Rick.

     A favorite driver of ours was a fellow called “The Repo Man” who had many thrilling stories to tell about repossessing cars. (He always kept a hammer in his boot so when he was under the car hooking it up to the tow truck he could whack people with it who were trying to prevent their Corvette from going away.) He did not really have to entertain us with his cool stories but he did and it made my friend Rick feel like a regular guy to be talking about such macho things. Never did we hear that this job was a stepping stone or temporary until something better came along.

     Conversely, I have interacted with workers with good jobs such as C/T scan technician or mammography tech that acted as if it was the last thing on earth they wanted to be doing. Once a medical assistant was annoyed because a machine’s reading of my pulse indicated an arrhythmia that needed an EKG. Should I apologize? When the EKG came back without anything alarming on it she sneered, “It’s normal.”  Again, my apologies.

     The term “McJob” has been in use since the late 80’s and was originally referring to low paying jobs with little room for advancement such as in McDonald’s.( They really need a pay increase!) I have heard people speak disparagingly about their jobs that are not nearly as bad working in the fast food industry and wonder if that feeling carries over to the rest of their life. If you don’t respect what you do for eight hours a day, how can you respect yourself when you are not working?

     Ultimately, if you think of what you do for a living as a McJob, it may very well be that you will have a McLife.

*Or, I could get my own copier, like a normal person.