About four months ago, I decided to get a second job as a waitress. To most people, that means putting on a smile and waiting on tables. However, to those of us that are or have been servers, we know that serving, by definition, is hanging on when you can't. There are highs, and there are lows. But all of that is so far out of your control that all you can do is smile and take your tables' order.
Having two jobs has been one of the most straining things I have ever done. My days feel like a never ending routine of eat, sleep, and work. My record was eight days without more than four consecutive hours of sleep. That really drains on a person.However more often than once, I have found myself standing in front of a table that genuinely doesn't understand. They don't understand what it's like to work in the food industry, to be yelled at for things out of your control, to have to have the strength to stand there and take it, and to have the perseverance to continue smiling for all your other tables. Honestly, they simply don't know. And who could blame them? If you've never worked two jobs, how could I expect you to know what it's like? I could try to explain what it's like going eight days without sleeping more than four consecutive hours. Yet in reality, you don't care. Because I'm young. Based either on my age or gender, you expect me to work as hard as possible with a great big smile on my face as if I didn't have one single care in the world.
More often than sometimes, I catch people saying, "But it's ok, because you're young." Why does my age take away from my hard work? Does the fact that I'm young somehow change my need to sleep more that four hours in a row? Does being only eighteen change the fact that I'm consistently puling 15 hour work days?
As much as I wish I could, I know that I cannot possible hope that all I the people I encounter will understand my struggle. I don't even understand it most days. But, I do know that I'll continue to do what I've done these past four months. I'll continue to work my butt off, in high hopes that one day, it'll be worth it. That one day, I'll be proud of what I've accomplished. Until that day comes, I'll keep grinding away, and working hard.
Having two jobs has been one of the most straining things I have ever done. My days feel like a never ending routine of eat, sleep, and work. My record was eight days without more than four consecutive hours of sleep. That really drains on a person.However more often than once, I have found myself standing in front of a table that genuinely doesn't understand. They don't understand what it's like to work in the food industry, to be yelled at for things out of your control, to have to have the strength to stand there and take it, and to have the perseverance to continue smiling for all your other tables. Honestly, they simply don't know. And who could blame them? If you've never worked two jobs, how could I expect you to know what it's like? I could try to explain what it's like going eight days without sleeping more than four consecutive hours. Yet in reality, you don't care. Because I'm young. Based either on my age or gender, you expect me to work as hard as possible with a great big smile on my face as if I didn't have one single care in the world.
More often than sometimes, I catch people saying, "But it's ok, because you're young." Why does my age take away from my hard work? Does the fact that I'm young somehow change my need to sleep more that four hours in a row? Does being only eighteen change the fact that I'm consistently puling 15 hour work days?
As much as I wish I could, I know that I cannot possible hope that all I the people I encounter will understand my struggle. I don't even understand it most days. But, I do know that I'll continue to do what I've done these past four months. I'll continue to work my butt off, in high hopes that one day, it'll be worth it. That one day, I'll be proud of what I've accomplished. Until that day comes, I'll keep grinding away, and working hard.