Who knows the reasons why certain people end up filling specific roles within society. Perhaps it was what they wanted to do for a living, or perhaps they didn't believe they could do anything else.
When I stop to think about it, I am comforted to know I am not alone: far from it. We rely on so many other individuals each and every day to keep the world as we know it, functioning. It is for that reason, that we ought to take a second look at the person behind the counter, the badge, or the bar. Extend an added ounce of dignity and gratitude to the person whose job it is to make, one or more aspect of your life, easier.
Can you imagine what the world would be like if we could answer the call of our dreams, rather than the call of duty? A little chaotic and frustrating wouldn't you say?
Hey lady, stop singing and just make me a hamburger! Stop painting that mural, I need a teeth cleaning! My electrician has run off to become a Nascar driver?? Now WHAT? My coffee beans are stuck in South America with no way of being being shipped here?? Guess it's time to take a trip!
Some of the roles I mentioned earlier are almost certainly someone's dream job. How many little boys have you heard say they want to be a fireman or a fighter pilot when they grow up? And that is exactly what they do. I always marvel at stories like that: the kids who evolve naturally into the life they imagined for themselves long ago.
I sometimes feel like I have sacrificed certain measurable successes in life because I am pursuing something outside of the every day ordinary. While I'm not ashamed to serve others behind a bar, I do not like being treated as though I ought to be embarrassed. There are more than enough soldiers alongside me in the trenches who are perfectly happy to be there. It is what provides them with a few dollars and even a few more friends.
And that ain't so bad ya'll.
But even still, I admit that: No, I do not want to be behind bars for the rest of my life. It is not my dream to come up with the perfect cocktail for your twenty first birthday. Though, as long as that is where I'm at, I am happy to try.
At some point, people either shut up, give up, wake up, or shake it up. They pull up their bootstraps and answer the call of duty. Whether that duty serves their fantasy or reality, only they can truly say.
Does it really matter either way to us? In the long run, it probably doesn't. But I would hope that in the very least, we can try just a little bit harder to appreciate our comrades out there in the fields.
They may have sacrificed their dream to answer the call, whatever it may be. Or perhaps what they are already doing for a living is their dream and we ought to respect that. Sometimes I feel like the battleground for personal happiness is constantly under siege. It is a struggle for survival out there; and no dream is too insignificant to be left behind.
Today, as I mentally prepare myself to assume the role I have been temporarily called to serve, I remind myself of the strategy and the mission: the mission possible, so to speak.
I feel grateful to those I meet along the way, who look beyond the uniform. For a flickering moment, they see me. And everything I hope to achieve is reflected back in their eyes. And it is as though, for a moment, I am closer than ever to winning this war.
We are all faced with this battle to survive and thrive. So as you march along, remember to thank the person who has answered the call, so that you might be able to answer yours: even if it's the call to sit and enjoy an ice cold beer at the local bar. A drink for you and a dollar for me: it serves us both.
With that, we can get through anything, together.
Today:
Rob Roy
2 oz Scotch
one dash Sweet Vermouth
Stir and strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with a cherry
How Can I help you?
photo credit: pit.edu
Hello Adriane...I'm in the service industry as well & find a mixture of reactions towards my line of work. Thou I command a certain amount of respect from my customers for my services, there is still the employer/employee...or us/them divide. Yet plainly society would collapse without these many services, some vital...others affording creature comforts & then services providing pleasure. It is a shallow person that would look down on any service provider. As thou many might enjoy their work, others (like me) would be happy to walk away from the sometimes mundane & use my skills to inspire myself directly. One day I will. Great write...thanks for sharing.
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