"The end of an epoch"
So today (well, since it's so late now, technically yesterday) marks, as Anne might say, "The end of an epoch." Also, as Caroline Bingley would say, "I do not pretend to regret anything I should leave behind (at Panera)." Heh, sorry, I just have to quote the books that I like =). Anyway, it was my final day at Panera--mixed feelings about this, but overall I'd say I'm glad to be out of there. I think the overall lessons I've taken from this experience are:
1) I am not well suited for a public service job. Now I know you and I both knew this before I started there, but I guess this only served to further establish that fact. I mean, it is possible for me to "seem" friendly and outgoing there, I can force myself to smile and inject some enthusiasm into my voice, especially when asking such exciting questions as, "what kind of bread would you like that on?" "for here or to go?" and, my personal favorite, "are you familiar with our pager system?" Oh yes, for someone who doesn't usually look or sound incredibly excited about anything, I sure can make myself seem excited and happy about the most boring and pointless things ever. But bottom line: I do not enjoy doing this. I feel so fake and quite honestly it makes me sick. Especially when dealing with nasty or irritating people and restraining myself from losing my temper entirely . . at least I never actually did . . . like some other people I worked with there!
2) I don't want to work in any sort of "food industry" place again. First of all, there is the grossness factor. Even at place like Panera, which is generally perceived as being clean, reputable, and well-respected, there are still a lot of things I wish I didn't know about the behind the scenes operations there. Not that it's horrible, far from it actually, as food places go it's not bad, but still . . . Also, I think I need to avoid food service because of my propensity to burn myself! I have burnt my right thumb twice, my left index finger, and also, as of tonight, my foot . . . yes, that's right . . .
There are some people I will miss, in particular this one Middle Eastern guy who would come in every day around 4:30 (almost always my shift) and just get a hot tea. Sometimes his family would come too. He told me all about how he is a teacher and teaches Arabic at the Islamic Academy, and about his vacation to visit his brother in St. Louis. Some of the people that work there are really cool too, but a couple are also incredibly nasty and condescending. I mean not like that matters much though, I'm sure I'd find that anywhere.
Well, now I have a week to do absolutely nothing, well, except for packing for the Alaskan cruise and school, cause when I get back I'll only have about 3 days. Well, I'm getting sick of this again, maybe I should just write short little bits, cause I always feel obligated to write a lot, but I get bored of it, heh, oh well. Quello e tutto per adesso.
1) I am not well suited for a public service job. Now I know you and I both knew this before I started there, but I guess this only served to further establish that fact. I mean, it is possible for me to "seem" friendly and outgoing there, I can force myself to smile and inject some enthusiasm into my voice, especially when asking such exciting questions as, "what kind of bread would you like that on?" "for here or to go?" and, my personal favorite, "are you familiar with our pager system?" Oh yes, for someone who doesn't usually look or sound incredibly excited about anything, I sure can make myself seem excited and happy about the most boring and pointless things ever. But bottom line: I do not enjoy doing this. I feel so fake and quite honestly it makes me sick. Especially when dealing with nasty or irritating people and restraining myself from losing my temper entirely . . at least I never actually did . . . like some other people I worked with there!
2) I don't want to work in any sort of "food industry" place again. First of all, there is the grossness factor. Even at place like Panera, which is generally perceived as being clean, reputable, and well-respected, there are still a lot of things I wish I didn't know about the behind the scenes operations there. Not that it's horrible, far from it actually, as food places go it's not bad, but still . . . Also, I think I need to avoid food service because of my propensity to burn myself! I have burnt my right thumb twice, my left index finger, and also, as of tonight, my foot . . . yes, that's right . . .
There are some people I will miss, in particular this one Middle Eastern guy who would come in every day around 4:30 (almost always my shift) and just get a hot tea. Sometimes his family would come too. He told me all about how he is a teacher and teaches Arabic at the Islamic Academy, and about his vacation to visit his brother in St. Louis. Some of the people that work there are really cool too, but a couple are also incredibly nasty and condescending. I mean not like that matters much though, I'm sure I'd find that anywhere.
Well, now I have a week to do absolutely nothing, well, except for packing for the Alaskan cruise and school, cause when I get back I'll only have about 3 days. Well, I'm getting sick of this again, maybe I should just write short little bits, cause I always feel obligated to write a lot, but I get bored of it, heh, oh well. Quello e tutto per adesso.