Yesterday as I was leaving Publix, I did something that I once silently judged others for doing - I left my cart in the parking lot. Of course I had the baby with me and milk heating in the trunk, but the real reason I justified doing this is that Publix hires people to scan the parking lot and rescue abandoned carts, which is exactly what happened. Before I could back out of my space, a young man hurried to my cart and pushed it back to the store.
I can only imagine that he really would rather just sit and watch the parking lot than run out in the hot Florida sun and push carts around. I've worked in a variety of jobs and the one thing that is universal is that employees typically don't like doing what they are told to do. I've always admired a good work ethic and try to act like I want to do the work, even if I am really seething underneath. However, I know that not everyone tries to put on a good face. Many people openly complain about the work they must do.
Work - even the word is unpleasant, but it does not need to be. Compare a worker with a dreamer. A dreamer will work twice as hard (sometimes ten times as hard) just to accomplish their vision. There is a way to harness at least some of the dreamer in all of us and apply it to whatever work we must do. The key is in instilling a sense of ownership of the work which we do.
I believe ownership of work is similar to a relationship with a person. Anytime I meet someone and we become "instant" friends I am leery of where that friendship is going. Usually I have to spend time with someone over several occassions and a friendship develops. Unless you have a dream (and I suspect any dream needs time to develop as well), you will be working for someone and given time, I believe you can begin to make that work your own. It requires - being your own boss. You may not sign your own paycheck and hire 'n' fire, but you can have ownership over your part of your work. When you own it, you have more pride in it
Believe it or not, I've even seen this work in my own personal purgatory - cleaning the house. I like to cook, I like to sew, I like to read, but I do not like to mop, scrub, or wash. Still, as time has gone by, I have grown to have some sort of pride about my house and that gives me motivation to clean it.
As I write this I think of my tiny son who will some day leave his bed unmade and drop his socks on the floor mere inches from the hamper. I know this will happen and I wonder, "How do you cultivate a good work ethic in your children?" - not a sense of dogged obligation, but a genuine desire to do your best. I know part of it is modeling that characteristic, but I suspect that what we expect from them will impact it too. Will my son learn a good work ethic from being forced to pick up his clothes (or else!) or is there some way to grow in him a love for what is good and right?
Back to the young cart pusher, it's a menial job, but maybe - just maybe - he can look past the slight possibility that he won't push carts all his life and for a brief moment in time be the boss of the parking lot and take pride in seeing it cart free. A young man like that will at the very least run the store someday.
