Personal satisfaction and growth can be achieved by doing your best

Lunch with Alannah
Alannah:  Hello.  I'd like two double cheeseburger meals, one with a sweet tea and one with a Dr. Pepper and a grilled chicken salad with a sweet tea.
Person taking our order:  K. So that's two double cheeseburger meals, a sweet tea and a salad.
Alannah:  Yes but that's a grilled chicken salad.
Person taking our order: Do you want crispy or grilled chicken on that salad.
Alannah:  (stares blankly in frustration for a moment then repeats slowly) grilled chicken salad
Person taking our order:  (sounding chipper and pleasant) So crispy or grilled chicken?
Alannah:  (loses it) Why would you put crispy chicken in a grilled chicken salad?! Grilled.  I want grilled.  (gives me her patented can you believe that look)

Lunch with Hailey
Hailey:  Hi!  I want a McChicken, no mayo and a double cheeseburger, no pickles and two sweet teas.
Person taking our order:  McChicken, no lettuce, double cheeseburger, no ketchup, two sweet teas.
Hailey:  Wait.  No.  Repeats our order -- I might mention it took three times for this poor person to get it punched in correctly.  Hailey checked the bag before leaving and had to return the sandwiches.  For some reason, they were determined to give us the no mayo/no ketchup order.  My niece is pretty persistent about getting the correct order if we haven't already left the premises.  Hailey has her incredulous are you serious eye roll for these situations.

I probably should also mention that during both these lunches we went inside to order as the drive though lanes were crowded.  

Other than the fact that I enjoy having lunch with my daughters and niece, you might be curious about the point of these two particular instances.  It doesn't have as much to do with my family as it does with those who served us.  If you don't enjoy your job or stand nothing to gain from it, you're less likely to do your best.  Except in the drive through, it was surprisingly not particularly crowded those two lunch days.  I recall thinking the employees looked bored.  When Alannah and I went to lunch, there was an employee meeting in the booth behind us.  I recall noticing when we were through and leaving the restaurant.

I understand the transitional nature of work at fast food places.  There are few incentives.  Yet, they are fortunate to be employed.  There are many who aren't as well off.  It seems ungrateful not to put forth your best effort in anything you attempt just because you've been graced with the opportunity.  It's an opportunity that is sadly out of reach for many.

In life there are so many things taken fore granted because it's something to which you're accustomed.  You're accustomed to having food and beverages when you want them, running water, electricity, transportation, a means by which to earn currency, a home, communication, and technology among other conveniences.  What do we do with all we have and how do we give back.  Many people take all they have fore granted, always want more, are never satisfied, don't put forth their best yet expect to be rewarded, and complain when they're inconvenienced.  There is a quote by Theodore Isaac Rubin that says "Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best."  While I'll agree not all tasks are difficult, I still believe a great deal of personal satisfaction and growth can be achieved by doing your best.