Serving in Florida

Barbara Ehrenreich's piece "Serving in Florida" sort of hits close to home.  It was a good read and, as a server in a restaurant, I could relate somewhat.  Also, having the pleasure of scrambling around with two jobs and full-time school, I understand her frustrations, worries, thoughts and the like.  It is not easy.

Any restaurant employee (past or present) is part of a somewhat proud group who can generally relate to each other. I have been doing it for a number of years and I now consider it easy because I am good at what I do, however, not a day goes by where I don't think about how much I will enjoy my life without having to wait tables anymore.  It is really an interesting line of work, one that is somewhat rewarding but dealing with hungry assholes every night is sometimes not worth the lucrative nature of the job.  Not many jobs are so compatible with my other job and my school schedule and the money is not bad at all.  Granted, in the industry one must take the good with the bad, the good usually outweighs the bad.  I am rambling.

The piece that Ehrenreich wrote is fun because one can relate.  I guess I speak for myself, but my story is not totally different from hers.  I pay rent, car insurance, cell phone, car payment, cable, electric, gas, food, etc.  The list goes on and on, and it is a struggle.  Everyday something comes up.  I just found out my cable got shut off because my brother and I got caught up during the holidays to realize it was due, now Comcast wants $280 for us to turn it back on.  Rent is due tomorrow, where does the money come from?  The author of the piece displays the hardships that others go through, the ones who struggle more than I do.  I consider myself lucky that I don't have to put up with what the characters in "Serving in Florida" have to handle.  I have a small apartment with my brother in Mansfield, these folks are struggling to stay at hotels and trailer parks.  I guess it could be worse.

Anyway, she brings up real issues regarding human battles.  Interesting binary oppositions between corporate and human, that's another issue that lines this article throughout and another one I can, unfortunately, relate to.

End blog here, cheers.