two-fer
usually, if i need an outlet, i either write or i take pictures; rarely do i do both. tonight was a night for both. i will try to get a picture or two up tonight on the main kettlepot site.
i have been reading some photography related articles, and i jotted down a few projects that i wanted to try and equipment i would need. after work, i grabbed my list and went shopping.
one stop was to the grocery store to pick up flowers for one of the photography projects. i walked in to the store, executing the traditional “head-nod-acknowledgement” to the young man gathering the carts. as i passed him to enter the store, i heard him talking but thought nothing of it.
having completed my shopping, i started back to the car. the same young man that i had seen earlier passed me and stood at the front door. he surveyed the lot, mumbling to himself, and darted right. as i walked back to my car, i found myself studying him. i had not noticed initially, but it became more obvious that he was different.
he hurried to the cart bin, collected the carts, and brought them in to the store. he quickly exited the store and headed to the next cart bin, repeating his tasks.
here was thing young man doing this amazing job on what most of us would thing is a very simple task. it really looked like he was giving everything he had to do his job. i thought about my office today, about the people that i work with. i thought about myself, and how i approach my job every day. i am pretty sure that the attention that this young man was giving to his job would have put shame to the attention i put towards mine. i think i have a pretty good work ethic, but sometimes, like everyone i think, i get distracted.
i think we take a lot of things for granted. we take our jobs for granted so much so that we find ourselves focusing on and complaining about things that do not matter. there are a lot of people that are unemployed. there are actually people out there, like this young man, that feel lucky for just being able to work at all.
i do not know why i was so fascinated. and as i read what i wrote, it does not do justice to my sense of wonder at the whole situation. but i just felt that i had to write something about this young man, and at least acknowledge how fortunate i am, even if i do not appreciate it.