Musing

Almost every mwf I'll be at Lyons to spend 1-2 hours of break time between classes. There's this cleaner guy I assume is around 40++ years old who is in charge of cleaning tables, pushing the chairs in and clearing the trash bins. He's really diligent about it. Spray, wipe, move on. He's always on a look out for tables to clean, I've almost never seen him 'laze around'.

I guess he must recognize me or something cause sometimes he'll smile and nod at me. That's not the point. The point is, sometimes I look at him and feel a little sad. Supposingly a man at 40++ should be at the peak of his career, the golden age for success. Not that he's not doing a decent job, but I was trying to imagine him in business suits and wondering about what jobs he had before he came to work at BC. Why is he working at Lyons? Did he lose his job or is he retired? Is he happy doing this job? Has anyone praised him for a job well done?

The reason why I started observing him is because he seems so into his work. He makes cleaning tables seem enjoyable. I've seen so many cashiers and sales who are thoroughly bored by their job and it's all evident on their faces and the way they work. Can people ever be satisfied with their jobs and be happy? You seldom meet doctors or lawyers or businessmen who absolutely love their work and don't think they're spending too much time. On the other hand, people loathe their jobs cause they don't earn enough. In the end, nobody seems to be happy.

I don't want to end up like that. I want to have passion for every job that I'll do. Even if it's just sorting books, or waitressing, or being a cashier. I don't want to feel like I'm wasting time and working just for money, shouldn't we make the most out of every experience?