Mrs. P from A Little Pink In A World Of Camo has driven some rough roads. Mother and war widow, she brings some wisdom that's worth your while:
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"There's more, and better there.
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
Mrs. P, thank you for this. Thank you for your sacrifice, although it feels small and inadequate to say that. I don't know where this Republic finds such men and women as your husband and you, but it is fortunate indeed that such as you are yet to be found.
3 comments:
I tried reinforcing this very lesson with my daughter this last week as I helped her set up her classroom in a new school in a new district. When a janitor came by to ask a question I made it a point to ask her name so my daughter could learn and remember it.
One thing I've learned in my occasional forays into the corporate world is the "Value of Teams" (at least to the point of rubbing blue mud in my belly when rubbing blue mud is the thing to do). I work in a techie world...the "team" is project managers, engineers, technicians, drafters...techie people.
But what about the "invisible" people? The trash is picked up, the floors are swept, the toilets are cleaned (is there something about an educated position that says you're above flushing your own waste?), problems with HVAC, electricity, plumbing are all more or less fixed, paper in the printers...I find all this support necessary - yet these are not considered "team member" jobs
Keep the pay scales closer. These jobs "no one wants to do" are necessary and should be paid by the necessity, not the education or skill level. Which would lower the salaries of many "decision makers"
Someone proud of where they work and who they work with and for is likely to do a better job no matter what that job.
But I'm not dictator this week.
Q
Over the years I've learned that "the people at the bottom" are your best friends when you need something done, and they should be treated as such. A lot of process and procedure entraps results attainment in the bureaucracy, and the folks who will eventually have a hand in getting done what you need done are sometimes the only path to success. Knowing them, and about them, kind words and kind gestures, helping when you can.
So you learned Dorothy's name; what are her children's names, and what does her husband do for a living?
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