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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Gratefulness Lost...

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week and reflect on what makes us grateful, I can't help but think that true gratitude and thankfulness has been lost.

One Target employee really dislikes the idea.  He started a petition asking Target to reconsider so that the employees could spend more time with their families on the holiday.  He got an astounding amount of signatures because the petition went viral (something like 250,000...).

I've been there.  I worked retail for 6 short months as my primary job (not just a part time, extra money gig like this guy is doing) when I lived in Michigan with the ex.  While I had a part time gig teaching at a local university, I needed to make more money.  Meijer hired me on the spot as a manager.

I had never worked retail.  But I knew that my weekends were gone.  I knew that I'd work odd hours.  I knew that holiday's weren't a guaranteed "day off".  I took the job out of necessity.

I knew that the store was closed one day a year--Christmas.  FINALLY!  A guaranteed day off!  But, that was short lived.  I was asked to report to work on Christmas day, 10:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m. to help get ready for the "After Christmas Sale."  

Yes.  I hated it.
Yes.  I would have rather been at home.
Yes.  I would have rather spent time with my family.

But I had to work.
It was my job.

My responsibility.
I needed the income from this job.  

So, dear Target employee, unlike those who are saying, "it's your job...deal with it", I am one of the few who get it.  It would be nice, wouldn't it?  Just once to have a day off on a holiday?  But, dear Target employee, you need to count your blessings

YOU HAVE A JOB.

You have a job in a time when so many don't.  Where so many people would gladly work at 11:00 p.m. to bring home a paycheck.  You work in a community where there are people in line at a food shelf for free turkeys and veggies so they could make a meal for their family.  You work in a community where people are still being laid off every. single. day.

You have lost your gratefulness, young man.