To Fast or Not to Fast

Everybody is all up in arms about the fast food industry folks wanting raises. As with everything, there are the supporters and the non-supporters of the movement. Then there are folks that make comments like "what makes these people think they deserve better?" and "half of those people are worthless trashy people who could care less about their status in 'grown-up world'" and "there are people in other industries that deserve WAY better than fast food people" and "if ANYBODY deserves a raise it is the people that hold respectable jobs" and more that I can't keep typing because the words break my heart.

I haven't been following the news so I don't know why they want a raise and I'm really no-one to determine whether or not they should get one or not. Although the fast food industry is notorious for under-educated folks and teenagers, the fast food industry has served as a first job for many who have learned how to work hard, who have learned how to work among slippery floors and stale greasy air, who have learned what it's like to be under pressure, who know what it's like to carry trash bags bigger than themselves all the way out to the dumpster - at night - and who have taken all of of those experiences to make a better life for themselves.

Norm started out flipping burgers as did Jay Leno, Macy Gray, Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon.com), Pink, Andrew Dornenburg (James Beard Award winner) and many others. The industry you choose shouldn't define who you are or how you are treated. The industry you choose shouldn't define how you treat others. Just because someone is a nurse in a hospital, they are no better than the guy flipping burgers at the fast food place.

I have lots of respect for the fast food industry folks, I know I couldn't do their jobs for $8 and hour or double at $16 an hour. I know that when I've had a bad day and all I want is a fried chicken sandwich, medium fries and medium Coke, they are there to hand it to me and turn my day right side up - and for that and many other reasons, such as the employment of my nephew, I am grateful.