It Takes A Village

 You know that saying "It takes a village"? Once we send our children, our most precious gift, to school we are handing them to a village saying please help us. And they help us without question. Every single time. So why do we treat our villagers as poorly as we do?

  Before your little sweetheart gets to their "hut" someone has cleaned it. Sanitized it. Made sure no germs were there to harm them or make them sick. These same people washed down door knobs and handles, refilled soap dispensers and paper towel holders. All to keep Jack & Jill healthy to learn. Have we really forgotten the integral role these workers played during the pandemic to keep our kids safe and in school? Apparently, we did.

  Not all our angels can fly on their own yet. Some need extra love and care to help them live their best lives. They get someone just for themselves. A helper. A guide. A cuddler. A kind, dedicated person who fights for them in situations where they cannot fight for themselves. These villagers are extra special. All the other students and teachers would suffer without them. Without these special workers, some parents would never feel safe sending their children off to school. What a blessing they are!

  While the village is swirling with activity, and a little bit of chaos, someone is off on the side alone keeping everything working smoothly. If this was a normal admin job it wouldn't be that challenging. But that normal job doesn't include checking out cuts and scrapes and handing out ice packs. Or providing a tissue and a hug when the day gets too overwhelming for a six-year-old. Not to mention finding a safe place to store a tooth that fell out in class or divorced parents arguing in your small workspace over whose turn it is to volunteer for a field trip. In what other workplace is that normal?

  Yet here we are, AGAIN, fighting with these workers because they want to earn a living and be respected by the people who run this province. The average salary for an educational assistant in Ontario is $40850.00, an administrator $47005.00, and a custodian $48016. Only the longest serving in any of these professions pass the $50K mark. Look at those numbers. Are you okay with them? Would you be okay with making that sum?

  We have to stop paying those workers who take care of the most vulnerable in society unlivable wages. We must start treating them as the valuable resources they are and not only compensate them for it but respect them as well. Teachers get all the accolades and while deserving, they could not do their job without these support workers. It's time the government understood this and treated them as such.

  Our village is broken. They are asking for our help. They always have our backs and this time we need to have theirs!

  Ang

   

  

Delivery Is King

 A new Mexican restaurant opened near me a few days ago. Last night since there was just hubby and I having dinner, welcome to the world of teenagers, I decided I'd pop over and check it out. That turned out to be a frustrating but eye-opening experience.

 As I walk into the place, it's more takeout than eat in, there is one man in front of me and two people behind the counter. The customer is waiting for his food which is being prepared extremely slowly by the worker. Now I don't mean "we've just opened and I'm still learning slow". That I could understand. This was more slow slow. I'm struggling for a word but you get it.

  There was another employee who was not moving slowly. In fact, she was lightning fast. So why wasn't she asking me for my order? I was next and by now there were three others in line behind me. Because she does not wait on mere in-person customers. No she is the food delivery preparer. Those of us spur-of-the-moment clientele can wait but not the folks lying on their couches waiting for the doorbell to ring. They have priority. Interesting.

  Years ago the only restaurants that delivered were pizza places and Chinese restaurants. That was it. They had their own drivers and you paid and tipped at the door. And by 2am you were out of luck. Not anymore. Even gas stations will send you chips, ice cream, and pop thru a delivery service. You never have to go to bed hungry again! This has changed the take-out business like never before.

  My kids' order food all the time. To me, the extra costs associated with delivery, which can be as much as the order, make it worthwhile for me to throw on some clothes and head out into the night. Not for them. It's the norm. They are willing to pay for the convenience of someone dropping their late-night meals on the doorstep. And then tip on top of that. Especially when the app is connected to my credit card!

  Now restaurants, even new ones, don't need me as much as before. I'm not a priority. People ordering from home or the office take presidence. They are the ones who chose where to eat when they have an ever-increasing amount of options. They are the repeat customers. I am the icing on the cake.

  I won't be going back to that restaurant. Not because the food wasn't good or it was too expensive. Eating out is a luxury and if I'm going to spend my money on takeout I, at the very least, want to feel like my business matters. The least they can do is pretend it does. Even when it doesn't.

  Ang