As a young man desperate in my search for
lucre, I was employed at
McDonalds. I was desperate and many people wouldn't hire me. I was a
punk. I looked like a
delinquent; I talked like a delinquent. I would have been a delinquent, if I had ever been caught.
McDonalds opened the arms of
employment to me. They cuddled my growing sense of
personal pride and
initiative by slowly offering me
responsibility and a feeling of accomplished goals.
I spit in McDonalds face, and tarnished that
trust. I don't think anyone noticed.
I worked at McDonalds for almost two years while attending
high school. As a measure of my worthiness I never received a raise. I was regularly
rude to customers, often becoming personally insulting. I came to work
drunk, took long breaks,
stole food and rarely washed my hands before leaving the
restroom. I even attacked a customer through the drive through window one night and refused to tender their change, claiming it was an
idiot tax.
I was not a model employee. Fortunately for me, and those that chose to be around me, I have grown and
matured since then.
I am no longer the foolish young man I once was.
The thing that has always bothered me the most about McDonalds is, they never fired me. I received the occasional
reprimand, but that was it. I don't think they actually cared about my
behavior. Now, every time I eat at McDonalds, I fear that someone like me is preparing my order, just waiting for me to criticize their performance and snap.
I don't eat at McDonalds much anymore.