On a recent trip to visit my brother and sister-in-law in Williamsburg, Virginia, Steve and I navigated the perils of I-95 through NYC, Baltimore, and Washington, DC. The infamous hazards include texting drivers, constant roadwork, and more than a handful of multiple car accidents.
Our road journeys are calculated to include rest and bathroom breaks at McDonald's, a mostly reliable respite with pretty decent coffee. As we entered this particular McDonalds, my husband and I immediately eyed the overflowing waste container. At the counter, three young workers were chatting away, oblivious to the conditions around them. I visited the women’s restroom and then proceeded to the counter where I mentioned to the young lady working the counter that the bathroom was in need of some attention. Her spirited response was “I know. I try never to use the bathroom during my shift.” To her response, I just replied, “we aren’t all afforded that option.”
I’ve been thinking a lot about that particular exchange. The young woman was pleasant enough, as were her co-workers. I wondered what was different in her experience as a young employee and mine, over the moon when I got a job at the Ponderosa Steak House in the late 1960’s. I remember feeling thrilled to be asked to take out the garbage – what a responsibility! I remember being hyper-attuned to the needs of the families who expected clean tables and excellent service.
And then it struck me. The difference between our respective experiences is that my path led to a future. My teenage jobs afforded me the ability to save for a car, put money away for college, and to occasionally buy a new piece of clothing.
When your day consists of work that requires two or three jobs just to survive, not thrive, I get it – eking out a living hardly taps the motivators that shed light on possibilities, future, and better living. Without a livable wage, we may have people show up for work. Showing up isn’t hope. Showing up isn’t commitment. Showing up isn’t living with value alignment. Showing up isn’t a vision of possibilities. Showing up is just that – showing up.
Paying a livable wage is all about dignity, hope, excitement, and commitment. Once upon a time, the United States of America prided itself on its ethos of being a melting pot, of being a place of unyielding opportunity.
This is the call to leadership, at all levels. We have the resources to lead our way out of this mess. What commitment are you willing to make for a brighter future?
