Earlier this week I had an encounter with a child at my job that kind of threw for a loop. It wasn’t a horrible exchange but it reminded me of something. So one thing we try to do at my job is get the kids to treat it as if it’s their own. We want them to care for it and not treat it with disrespect. Kind of like their home. One way we do this is to get them to take part in the cleaning. I asked one of the kids to help sweep up the cafeteria after lunch and the response was that’s not my job, you’re staff for a reason. I was absolutely shocked by the response. I wound up pulling the young manto the side later and explaining to him why we wanted him to help clean. I also reminded him that he is going to ask me for something and that based on his response he may or may not get it. I also reminded him that just because I am staff doesn’t mean he gets to be disrespectful. I reminded him that he will need things from people and may not get it if he is rude and disrespectful.
People always seem to forget that sometimes the very person you are treating like crap could be the person you need later. That’s why I always try to treat people with the upmost respect. From the people who fix my food to family. I try to remember that I might need the people who I come across in my life. I know some of the people in my life are only there for a moment and I will learn whatever I need to know from them and they will move on. However some people do come back. I would never want to disrespect someone and then wind up having to call them because I need something from them and pray that they will help me. I as a mother try to teach my kids this and I try to pass the message along to the kids I work with as well. You never want to just mistreat anyone just because you can.
I have been the person who has had to go back and eat crow and it doesn’t feel good. People have had my entire fate in their hand. Let me tell you some people have gone on to help me anyway and others have said no because of the way that I have treated them. I have also been the person who has had to make a decision on whether to help someone or not. Honestly most times I have said yes simply because I am just generally a nice person. There were times I have had to say no because I just knew the person wasn’t going to appreciate it. People basically need to remember that the way you treat people can come back and bite you. Especially when you wind up needing something from them.
