Society’s economic woes mirrored by waitresses
I usually come to the diner weekdays, but last weekend I stopped in on Sunday with Annette for a late morning omelet.
Annette’s daughter waits tables here Sundays. She is one of three part-time weekend waitresses. Each is thirty or younger, went to college, and has another “main” job. This is in contrast to the three full-time waitresses who work here during the week. They are fifty-plus, didn’t go to college, and this is their main job.
I am familair enough with all six waitresses to know that they all own – or lack - approximately the same amount of material possessions. The difference in personal cash flow seems to be related to the amount of debt each has; primarily college loans and credit card balances.
I find it tragically ironic that today’s college-prepared young people, at least many of the ones I know, seem to be so saddled with debt that they must work two jobs to survive.
February 17, 2009 at 12:22 am
In the recession of the 70’s-and that one was caused by Arabs messing with our oil not our Presidents Harvard pals manipulating the price of oil- college degrees did little to help folks land a job and many had to lie about how well educated they were so as not to be considerred overqualified. Mo-Vinny the Fly’s nurse with a Masters Degree in nursing to be specific comes to mind first. Many of my cousins had to take labor jobs and sit on their degrees but eventually the degrees did pay off. Education is a good thing and there is no guarantee for instantaneous success. There is a good side. It shows that those women who may be raising kids by themselves when they put their hearts into it can still do good by their families, often when their men are too proud to get their hands dirty doing it.