I'm currently reading a book called "Serving with Eyes Wide Open: Doing Short Term Missions with Cultural Intelligence." This reading is in preparation for my trip out West to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and is meant to help frame the experience in a meaningful way. I planned on just skimming the book and faking my way through the question on the application, but I started reading and I am intrigued by the content. It talks a lot about shedding off the "The world is America and mine for the taking" mindset. Very cool.
I just wish that they wrote books to prepare you for everything in life.
Like how do you react when your co-worker is talking about "slitting b-tches necks" and infusing every sentence with so many "f-cks" that you can barely discern what it is he is trying to articulate?
How do you talk to someone who only wants to drink his life away?
How do you talk to someone who objectifies women?
How do you talk to someone who mocks people with retardation?
I mean, I know that sometimes you have to come down off your high horse...you have to leave all the shine and pristine world of ideas, but how do you interact with someone who thinks radically different than you do?
Or are they really that different? Maybe you have just become so well socialized and well-kempt that you don't send out such barbaric utterances and underdeveloped conceptualizations.
But then again, a Christianity is sometimes like putting a square peg in a round hole. The Gospel always opposes this wretched world.
Alas, what am I to do?
Melodrama!
All I am saying is that sometimes Krogers feels like a whole 'notha culture.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Bit by Bit
Today, one of my favorite coworkers pointed out that I was "Dave's bit."
Dave is my boss, and my friend has a speech impediment.
Bit=bit-h.
I liked to think of the situation as being his right hand man (as we set up a display with various forms of beer and a porch set...there was something very unnatural about that much beer surrounding a porch set...i can't really imagine anyone enjoying themselves with their view of the backyard impeded by a stack of Coronas)
Anyhow,
I spent the better part of my day sorting out massive amounts of beer and wine, ensuring that all the giddy alcoholics in Ntown could easily access their beverage of choice.
I only took one break.
I cut my pinky.
I didn't have that much quality human interaction.
But, do you know what I got for it?
46 hours of paid work next week, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday until four off so I can see ma'lady.
Boo ya!
I may be referred to as the boss's bit...
but the truth is
I AM THE MICHAEL JORDAN OF GROCERY CLERKS!
Dave is my boss, and my friend has a speech impediment.
Bit=bit-h.
I liked to think of the situation as being his right hand man (as we set up a display with various forms of beer and a porch set...there was something very unnatural about that much beer surrounding a porch set...i can't really imagine anyone enjoying themselves with their view of the backyard impeded by a stack of Coronas)
Anyhow,
I spent the better part of my day sorting out massive amounts of beer and wine, ensuring that all the giddy alcoholics in Ntown could easily access their beverage of choice.
I only took one break.
I cut my pinky.
I didn't have that much quality human interaction.
But, do you know what I got for it?
46 hours of paid work next week, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday until four off so I can see ma'lady.
Boo ya!
I may be referred to as the boss's bit...
but the truth is
I AM THE MICHAEL JORDAN OF GROCERY CLERKS!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Relevancy
Today I started my job again at the grocery store. As part of the homogenization of their employees, Kroger requires that you complete several computer modules before they set you loose on the shiny floor.
Following what would later turn out to be too-vague instructions, I proceeded to complete the modules I thought I needed in order to start my job.
As I was sitting there during one of the sessions, I was think to myself "This is so irrelevant to what I will actually be doing in the store." It was way out of the scope of things that I would be doing. I was hired to cut open boxes and put things on shelves, and this computer program was telling me about how to order more products, various functions of the scanner, and the relationship between BOH and MIN. Tons of useless crap. I failed the quiz.
As I was retreating back into the cheesy model, incredulous that I would have to learn all this stuff, the guy who hired me walked in and said "Didn't I tell you not to do that module?"
Well, he hadn't advised me so, but that wasn't the point.
I didn't have to finish. Hooray.
All this to say--
While working at Kroger, I wonder about the people I work with. Do they find meaning in their work? Am I too narrow-minded, too sheltered by academia, too white-collar to believe that someone could be passionate about scanning barcodes and packing fridges?
Or do they see no relvancy to what they are doing? Is it a continuous meaningless computer module that leaves them saying "Why in the world am I required to slave away at this?"
I just think work without purpose would leave someone with a high degree of confusion and indignance.
We'll have to see how everybody feels after a summer at the store.
Should be interesting.
Following what would later turn out to be too-vague instructions, I proceeded to complete the modules I thought I needed in order to start my job.
As I was sitting there during one of the sessions, I was think to myself "This is so irrelevant to what I will actually be doing in the store." It was way out of the scope of things that I would be doing. I was hired to cut open boxes and put things on shelves, and this computer program was telling me about how to order more products, various functions of the scanner, and the relationship between BOH and MIN. Tons of useless crap. I failed the quiz.
As I was retreating back into the cheesy model, incredulous that I would have to learn all this stuff, the guy who hired me walked in and said "Didn't I tell you not to do that module?"
Well, he hadn't advised me so, but that wasn't the point.
I didn't have to finish. Hooray.
All this to say--
While working at Kroger, I wonder about the people I work with. Do they find meaning in their work? Am I too narrow-minded, too sheltered by academia, too white-collar to believe that someone could be passionate about scanning barcodes and packing fridges?
Or do they see no relvancy to what they are doing? Is it a continuous meaningless computer module that leaves them saying "Why in the world am I required to slave away at this?"
I just think work without purpose would leave someone with a high degree of confusion and indignance.
We'll have to see how everybody feels after a summer at the store.
Should be interesting.
Monday, May 5, 2008
The Last Straw
I am traversing through Exodus right now.
I am trying to form better spiritual habits, and bible reading is at the forefront. Not to say I am some great pioneer...It's mostly the accountability with ma'lady which keeps me in check.
Anyhow,
The tension between Pharaoh and Yaweh is intriguing. Pharaoh is obviously unjust, and the people distrust and detest him. But the crazy part is that the people do not trust Yaweh--the God who helped their ancestors stand up against the pagan culture in which they were enswarmed (yes, I just made up a word). I mean, its kind of understandable. Moses just added to their labors when he asked Pharaoh to let them go. At this point in the story (where I am at) God is reassuring Moses that he will still bring the people out.
The thing about stories like Exodus is that we know how they end. We forget the painful details that lead up to the grand finale.
Like, Sunday school teachers never emphasize the part about the straw.
Because Pharaoh was peeved off, he told the Israelites "You've got to make the same amount of bricks, but now you've got to find your own straw to make it with." I can imagine how the Israelites were feeling at this point: distraught.
They probably said to themselves
"And two more years in Iraq?"
"And now she has cancer?"
"And three more dollars for oil?"
"And 10,000 people died?"
"And they are starving?"
I don't think postmodern America is completely different than ancient Egypt.
We can never see the big picture, and we will at points feel the burden of this life.
But God is in our midst when we don't even realize it, ready to deliver us from our daily oppressors.
We just need to remember.
I am trying to form better spiritual habits, and bible reading is at the forefront. Not to say I am some great pioneer...It's mostly the accountability with ma'lady which keeps me in check.
Anyhow,
The tension between Pharaoh and Yaweh is intriguing. Pharaoh is obviously unjust, and the people distrust and detest him. But the crazy part is that the people do not trust Yaweh--the God who helped their ancestors stand up against the pagan culture in which they were enswarmed (yes, I just made up a word). I mean, its kind of understandable. Moses just added to their labors when he asked Pharaoh to let them go. At this point in the story (where I am at) God is reassuring Moses that he will still bring the people out.
The thing about stories like Exodus is that we know how they end. We forget the painful details that lead up to the grand finale.
Like, Sunday school teachers never emphasize the part about the straw.
Because Pharaoh was peeved off, he told the Israelites "You've got to make the same amount of bricks, but now you've got to find your own straw to make it with." I can imagine how the Israelites were feeling at this point: distraught.
They probably said to themselves
"And two more years in Iraq?"
"And now she has cancer?"
"And three more dollars for oil?"
"And 10,000 people died?"
"And they are starving?"
I don't think postmodern America is completely different than ancient Egypt.
We can never see the big picture, and we will at points feel the burden of this life.
But God is in our midst when we don't even realize it, ready to deliver us from our daily oppressors.
We just need to remember.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Chatter
I am a conversationalist, but I am not sure that I am a chatter.
Today, for the first time, I chatted with people online via facebook chat. Probably not the most "hip" online messaging system, but a system nonetheless. It was really bizarre when I would go to type something, and then the person on the other end with answer the question before I asked it. All convention was sped up--everyone knew what was coming next and jumped right to it.
I'm not sure I like that. I like conversations where I can take a minute to gather my thoughts, savor words that are coming in, and slowly reveal what's stirring inside my head (which is important to me, but which varies in profundity.) Online communication is convenient and fast-paced...but something seems to be missing. The pauses, the mystery, the inflections--I miss all these things.
What I most love are blogs like this, where I can state my opinions, and it is usually several days, if ever, before someone disagrees with me.
Ah, so removed...
Today, for the first time, I chatted with people online via facebook chat. Probably not the most "hip" online messaging system, but a system nonetheless. It was really bizarre when I would go to type something, and then the person on the other end with answer the question before I asked it. All convention was sped up--everyone knew what was coming next and jumped right to it.
I'm not sure I like that. I like conversations where I can take a minute to gather my thoughts, savor words that are coming in, and slowly reveal what's stirring inside my head (which is important to me, but which varies in profundity.) Online communication is convenient and fast-paced...but something seems to be missing. The pauses, the mystery, the inflections--I miss all these things.
What I most love are blogs like this, where I can state my opinions, and it is usually several days, if ever, before someone disagrees with me.
Ah, so removed...
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