Thread by @imaracingmom

Today's Thread:
Every job is important!
No matter what you do, you can make a difference!

(Threading is the new blogging)

It seems like sometimes I get a perverse pleasure beating myself up for not living up to my full potential. I had the capability to go to college, get one of those fancy degrees, and earn some serious money. Mom being so low income, I could have gotten a free education.

People with fancy degrees intimidate the crap out of me. They don't have to do anything intimidating. It's all in my head, I give them that power over me. I put them higher than myself and view them better than me.

For months, I've been trying to break out of my inner circle of advocates. THR consumers and small business owners because then, I'm just preaching to the choir. This forces me to interact with CEO's, MD's, and people with MA's, BA's, and the dreaded PhD's.

What I've learned is that the world is full of people with fancy letters after their names who are awesome folks. They're not just smart, they're human. They're kind, funny, and passionate. I guess they really do put their pants on just like everyone else.

But I still have to deal with my views of my own self-worth. What was the value of being "just a bartender" or "slinging burgers" at a fast food joint?

In 1980, when I moved to Brainerd, I was a waitress at Perkins. One of my regulars, Ernie was a steel guitar player. He got me a 2nd job at the Blue Ox Bar. His Mom, Minnie (also a musician) got me my 3rd job at Cragun's Resort.

So here I was, pretty much broken, living with my grandparents, working low wage jobs that I considered pretty meaningless, but at least I was making my car payments and paying them some rent.

The screen shot of a FB chat in the original tweet of this thread comes from a former customer of the bar and of Perkins. Little did I realize, in his darkest hours, I was the compassionate soul that helped him crawl out of his despair.

There was many a time at the bar I refused to serve him any booze, but I would buy him a soda and talk to him for hours. Because I also worked at Perkins and served the large groups that came in after their AA meetings, I know people I could introduce him to.

They supported him and helped him get into treatment and he joined the AA club. Last time I saw him, he was doing well. He moved to Texas. I few years ago, he went looking for me on Facebook and messaged me a Thank-you for helping him. I hear from him every summer, as he ...

mentions being sober for another year. Being "just a bartender" put me in the right place at the right time to make a difference in someone's life. Sounds like a pretty important job to me!!!!

Being "just a waitress" at Perkins gave me the opportunity to meet all the local musicians, which led me to the Renn family (Ernie and Wayne and their Mom Minnie), who instantly adopted me. I spent many a night with Minnie and her sister Lyla listening to the boys play.

Even though I wasn't playing anymore, they knew I was a musician, and it kept me from feeling like I was completely cut off from the life I knew and loved. I would sit with Wayne for hours as he was composing a song and throw in my 2 cents worth here and there.

When I left the Twin Cities, I was abusing alcohol and drugs on a regular basis. I have no idea how I did that and didn't end up addicted, but I certainly was headed down the wrong path. Working at Perkins and waiting on everyone from AA and NA showed me there was another...

way to live. Hearing their stories showed me which way I was headed and where I didn't want to go. I haven't done drugs since and I went 22 years before I finally had a beer. I wouldn't have completely changed the path I was on if I wasn't "just a waitress" and meet everyone...

from AA.

I worked my way up to Dining Room Manager. I hired a young man who was in college. He was "just a busboy and dishwasher". He had a learning disability and was struggling with some of his classes. We used to both be done with our shifts after bar rush.

For a couple of years we'd grab a pot of coffee after work, sit in the corner booth in the back and I tutored him. We'd often sit there until 6 or 7 in the morning and then he'd have to go change clothes and head to school.

He went on to medical school and is now a doctor in Oklahoma. I'm so proud of him. Would he have gotten there if he wasn't "just a bus boy" working at a place that had a boss that could mentor him?

One day, I was working a waitress shift at the resort. A family of 3 was one of my tables. The parents had gone up to the breakfast buffet to grab seconds when one of their kids began choking. Without thinking, I grabbed that child and did the Heimlich maneuver and a piece...

of sausage went flying. Maybe somebody else could have done the same thing, if they noticed in time. I'll never know, but thank God I was "just a waitress" and was working that day.

Years later, I was the assistant manager at Hardee's. Yep, I was slinging burgers! How many times have we heard derogatory comments about people who sling burgers? We had a regular, named Richard (Dick) who had epilepsy. He had seizures often and couldn't drive. So he walked...

to Hardee's everyday to have coffee with his friends. He felt comfortable there because everyone knew him and we all knew how to watch out for him and we knew when we should / shouldn't call an ambulance.

In front of the restaurant was the highway, the main drag through town.

One day when I was working, I happened to be pouring coffee in the dining room and saw Dick crossing the highway. He had a seizure right in the middle of the road. I let out a yell and went flying out the door. I stood guard over him and directed traffic so he wouldn't get run...

over. I kept people from calling the ambulance (which would have embarrassed Dick) until his seizure was over. I then helped him across the street and into the restaurant. Would Dick have gotten run over if I wasn't there? I'll never know, but I know it was possible.

The point of all of this is that society needs people that don't have the fancy letters after their names. Society needs people from all walks of life, greasing the wheels that makes society run. Each of us is important in our own way.

I have had a full life. I've traveled across the USA, have been to Canada several times, and have been to Mexico and Germany. I've experienced lots of things, both good and bad. I may not have a PhD from a prestigious university, but I do believe I've earned my degree from life.