With Thanks

A continuation of my story - click below to start at the beginning (a very good place to start!).
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Mt. Pleasant is a small town. Sometimes we have a nice restaurant to go to. Other times, the nice restaurants have gone out of business. Then, we just have to wait - wait for the next poor sucker who's willing to risk it all and start a new one. In the mean time, we do have a McDonald's.

That's were I worked from the time I was 16 until I was 20. I started out working in the drive-thru. Here are some tips to help you if you're ordering in a drive-thru.

1) If your vehicle has a diesel engine - turn it off. Trust me, I can't hear you. (If you don't know if your car has a diesel engine - it doesn't, city slicker.)
2) Don't honk! Or I will spit in your drink! (Just kidding, but I will think bad things about you while my eardrum bleeds down my neck.)
3) The person working drive-thru is usually talking to three different people - minimum - at the same time. Be patient - it's a virtue. (Besides, you couldn't do it.)
4) Don't hit on me and think I will fall for it. What? My voice turns you on? Come on! I know all you want is a free apple pie.
5) Pay attention to which window I tell you to go to. It matters.
6) Don't ask me to wait and then tell really crass jokes about McDonald's employees as if I can't hear - or can, but won't say anything.
7) Don't ask me to wait and then fart out loud. Yes, I can hear that.
8) Don't pick your nose. Just don't. Ever.
9) If you don't know what you want, I sure as hell don't. If you're confused, drive circles around the building until you figure it out, but don't sit "in my ear" for 30 minutes trying to figure out if Stacey likes mustard.
10) NO! We DON'T have that Happy Meal Toy!

I was quickly promoted to manager...well, you know, it's a small town...

I learned that some people want a list of things to do. And other people want to see a vision and then work towards it. Both are valid. I learned that the rules should serve the people, not the other way around. I learned that you should never accept lies, even when it's company policy. No, the customer isn't always right. I learned that you must roll up your sleeves and start the meat and toast the buns and all the while never lose sight of the kids on the playground. I learned that having the respect and love of people who work with you is worth more than any paycheck. I learned that soft-serve ice cream makes most everyone feel better. And that Chicken McNuggets are really good with Big Mac sauce.

Well, they are!

I dated two guys - well, two and half guys, in my highschool/community college days. The first one moved away, but he did ask me to marry him. I guess he forgot. Or maybe he's still waiting. The second one was wonderful! He was smart and played the piano and basketball and was in drama. I dated him for a year. We only went out three times though, cause he was from a town quite far away.

I also sorta dated that other guy - the half guy. Well, he wasn't half a guy, but... We went on some dates, so that means we sorta dated - we halfway dated. Of course, he was also gay. But that doesn't make him half a guy. Anyway, I didn't know what "gay" meant back then, so it didn't bother me, you know - no harm, no foul.

Then this funny thing happened. I got mail...from Baylor University.

Baylor was the college that all the preppy, popular kids go to. They all walk around carrying their tennis rackets and wearing Polo...

So anyway, Baylor accepted me. I don't know why. It's the only place I applied to, so when I got accepted, I just went.

I didn't know one damn thing.

No one in my family - extended family - as far as the eye could see, had ever graduated from college. So, I went to college really, really stupid. I packed some clothes...that was good. And I did have a blanket and pillow. I had bought a trunk to store things in (someone told me I'd need that - or maybe I saw it on an after school program). Didn't have towels. Didn't have shampoo. Certainly didn't have pillow shams.

I didn't know what pillow shams were until I met my roommate. Later, this roommate would jump on my bed at 6:30 in the morning and sing "Good morning to YOU, good morning to YOU!" and then rush off to put on her make-up and do her hair before her 9:30 class.

I did know one damn thing - I knew my roommate was a freak.

Actually, most all the girls at Baylor were freaks. "We're on a mission from God - MARRIAGE!"

Anyway, I wanted to do something for God to pay him back for taking care of me, so...I became a religion major and volunteered for an inner-city organization.

Dear God,

I was trying to pay you back, but somehow things got twisted around. I brought you some stuff - like my time and my energy. I gave them to you. I know I gave them, cause I didn't have any left. But, I still don't understand. I think your accounting department made a mistake. I hope I'm not being too presumptuous, but they might have accidentally put the debits in the credit column, cause I... Well, it just seems like I have more than I really am suppose to. It seems like I have more than I started with.

You know what? Why don't you just do the math and let me know what you come up with.

Thanks!

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 1/19/2005 11:24:00 PM

Comments:

I have been to that MickyDees before on my way to a hockey game in Midland or to Soaring Eagle. Have you ever ordered that sauce "on the side," since you left? I worked at a pizza place...and I used to love mixing one ladel of tomato sauce and one ladel of barbeque sauce together...made the pizza sweet and tangy!

Why would you ever think of applying to Baylor?

# by:

Steve : 8:45 AM

whoops! Steve, that's Mt Pleasant, TEXAS!! what a GREAT post. (worked at a BK for a while, myself.... can relate to that part)
I'm LOVING Reading your story, love how you tell it! Love the letter at the end.

With Thanks

Comments:

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