Another Day At the Office

A typical day at the office, which in my case is in my high school cafeteria, started out in its usual fashion with everyone declaring that yesterday had been a “day from hell”, and how come I wasn’t there to have felt it as badly as they did? I explained I had been sent to another school by our Boss who hadn’t realized when he sent me that 3 people would be out on our staff at my school leaving it worse off than the school to which he sent me to help. I confess I was very happy to see everyone at my school so glad that I had returned after a 1 day absence (spent at another school where I busted my butt trying to help their crisis) but from there it went rapidly downhill right away in that 2 other people were out today and we had to “cover” for them in addition to our own chores which usually take us beyond the time we’re supposed to be working. 2nd day from Hell for my own school, and this time I was there to share it with them.




I don’t care where you work or what your job is, the worst thing that can occur at almost any job is when 2-3 people don’t show up for work. This instantly spells Red Alert for everyone who is there, and one doesn’t need an Army sergeant to get us all moving at breakneck speed. The name of the game is “teamwork” and when part of the team is absent, well you’d have to be an imbecile or totally insubordinate to run away from what is expected by everybody including oneself. Oh, I’ve known people to try to avoid taking on extra chores, but they temporarily lose the self-respect of their peers, and sometimes this becomes permanent if it happens over and over again. Not worth it.



Today, in fact, I started something new in my job description. It appears that lots of the kids are “stealing food” from us (no kidding!) and my new job instead of being on the cash register during the 3 lunch periods, is to watch out for guys who bring in their back packs even though there are 2 huge signs on the doors telling them that no back packs are allowed in the kitchen and to leave them in the cafeteria when they come in to get their lunches, and girls who bring in huge tote bags which strangely seem to bulge as they exit.



Listen, I didn’t get to be almost 80 years of age without trying some stuff myself when I was younger although it was never to the degree that some of our high school kids have perfected their “routine”, so I volunteered for this job thinking I would be quite adept at catching some of them.



I am, and I was today. I hauled out 4 guys at the 1st lunch with back packs that were popping, 3 at the 2nd lunch, and only 1 at the 3rd lunch. I also caught some girls with their totes. In every instance they looked at me with innocent eyes “oh, I was going to take this out when I got to the cash register, really I was – I was just carrying it this way”.



Yeah, right! Carrying stuff that belongs on a plastic tray in your backpack or tote, and then trying to exit by one of the doors where there is no cashier. But guess who was waiting? Big Sister. Or Big Mama. Or Big Grandma. Whatever you want to call me – the point is that you don’t get away with that stuff when I’m prowling around looking for people just like you!!



Gestapo tactics? I don’t think so. I didn’t torture anybody – just made them turn in their food, and/or go pay the conventional way by passing a cashier.



Now, all of this would make sense if we weren’t throwing away in the garbage tons of beautifully wrapped, uneaten food every day. In the face of this, what’s a little stealing from the kids? We’d only be throwing out what they’re taking anyhow, and certainly it isn’t my job to teach them some moral values. I think that is left up to parents still, isn’t it?



A lot of stuff happens in our cafeteria that probably shouldn’t. But then a lot of stuff happens everywhere that shouldn’t. What about our congressmen and their dalliances on the job? And our athletes cheating on steroids? Aren’t they all supposed to be role models for the kids? If they barely get a slap on the wrist, how are we supposed to impress a 17 year old boy that he shouldn’t snatch a sandwich from the kitchen and try to make it out to the cafeteria where he can melt away in the crowd without paying for it?



So – just another day at the office – actually, a more peaceful day than most. One never knows what tomorrow may bring!