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Friday, August 21, 2015

Cincigal Grocery Store Clerk - WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW

During the course of posting, on this blog, I have read many articles depicting the retail employees.  Some  of these articles attempted to explain the culture, service and the economic standards of this workforce.  While other articles delved into the health issues that employees face while working these jobs.  But never did I find articles that described what it takes to work these jobs.  Although, however, there are plenty of articles written that give advice as to how these positions can better serve customers.

Retail/food service, is like any other job - one has to work it before you understand it.

If the public could ride in the back of a cruiser, walk the halls of a hospital, teach a student, trudge a battlefield, among other jobs, we would understand more of what it takes to work these jobs.  And although working in a grocery store does not begin to be as important as any of the jobs previously mentioned, it has, however, found a spot in public opinion.

'You want to make more money, get a better job.'  Now there's an opinion for ya!  Oh, how the public went up in arms when they thought there was a chance of having to pay more for a burger.

But, I am here to confess that 15 years ago I probably would have felt the same way.  Truly!  But, life can change within seconds and bring one to a point of either 'sink or swim'.  And how one handles this change will be their deciding factor.

The people that work these jobs are faced with the rising cost of living; food, home, medical.  And these jobs do not provide for the increase in living expenses and have remained stagnate causing some to take on financial assistance while working.  Or how about the people that work two part-time jobs.  And don't give me the speech about higher education.  During this recession I have been surprised at the amount of people I have met who hold degrees and are yet forced to work part-time jobs in retail in order to survive. 

When working these jobs, one is faced with the turbulence of fluctuating finances due to not knowing how many hours they will work from week to week.  There is the health factor when faced with irregular hours that they are expected to work. And hey, what about the cost of that health insurance?   And let us not forget the demands that they mentally face while working these jobs.  The bottom line is, no one has a right to point a finger at this work force.  You want to get in someone's face over the rising cost of a burger, then face off with these corporations who are in control of the financial well being of this public.  For it is they that make the conditions necessary in order to maintain their profits.

This job that I have maintained for about 13 years now, has humbled me to say the least.  No longer do I judge what I see or read about on the news and instead have more of an understanding of the work force and society.  Through the time, I have been lucky due to the love and assistance provided me by my family and the friends who helped me learn how to cope.

No, working in a grocery store has not been a waste for me.  It has helped me to see and understand and probably made me a much better person than I would have been had I not worked this job.

You see, understanding is the secret to making things better - while ignorance is what kills the opportunities.

Talk at ya later!

 

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