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What Working At McDonald's Taught Me About Privilege
The Odyssey ^ | December 28, 2015 | Olivia Legaspi

Posted on 01/05/2016 10:57:33 AM PST by EveningStar

During Customs week, in PAF sessions, and in everyday discourse here at Haverford, we are taught to ask for help when we feel we need it, speak up when we feel uncomfortable, and prioritize our own well being over most other things. At McDonald's, acting in this way could have cost me my job, a job I needed to afford college...

Those of us who need to work in order to support ourselves and pay tuition cannot afford to internalize the soft, self-centered mindset presented by our peers and customs folk at Haverford -- had I gone to a manager and complained that I become anxious when the restaurant is busy or that hearing complaints from customers made me nervous, the manager would have concluded that this was simply not the right job for me. I would have gone home, and I would have been unable to pay the student contribution from summer work that is built into my financial aid package...

(Excerpt) Read more at theodysseyonline.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: highereducation; mcdonalds; privilege; realworld
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To: Norm Lenhart
Maybe she’d be interested in learning what working with liberals taught me

Taught me that I'd rather work with conservatives. You?

21 posted on 01/05/2016 11:15:35 AM PST by wbill
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To: wbill

Yup. Also taught me they belong in cages. Every last one of them. Male, female, black, white, mom, dad, son or daughter.

No exceptions. Ever.


22 posted on 01/05/2016 11:17:17 AM PST by Norm Lenhart (Existential Cage Theory - An idea whose time has come)
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To: NorthMountain
She still has a lot of growing up to do

As do we all. It seems to take a lifetime to do it, and then you're dead. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher...

23 posted on 01/05/2016 11:17:44 AM PST by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: wbill

Back in the day you didn’t have PTSD you just needed to man up. Ask our vets from WW 2.


24 posted on 01/05/2016 11:20:24 AM PST by Resolute Conservative
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To: mollynme

That is what I got from the article as well.


25 posted on 01/05/2016 11:21:42 AM PST by Maine Mariner
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To: chajin
Freshman at Haverford College, expected major in English and double minor in Education and Fine Art.

Ohmigawd! PTSD from working at McDonald's? No wonder she's trying to feel better about herself by getting a degree with which she will be able to do nothing - NOTHING! - other than tell everyone around her how tough she's had it.

26 posted on 01/05/2016 11:25:11 AM PST by Quality_Not_Quantity (Democrat Drinking Game - Every time they mention a new social program, chug someone else's beer.)
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To: EveningStar

I worked the grill, washed the dishes, and cleaned the dining area.

I loved making my own money, and took pride in how well I met the 5pm rush. Even worked extra hours when we were short.

Then again that was the last century, I guess,


27 posted on 01/05/2016 11:30:26 AM PST by VanDeKoik
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To: EveningStar; All
Wait a minute. It's not entirely clear, but I think the author is arguing AGAINST the concept of special “snowflake” privilege. From the article:

And from that, I grew; I learned to take care of myself in ways that didn't inconvenience anyone, draw unnecessary attention to myself, or interfere with the structures in place and the work which had to be done. McDonald's was not a "safe space" for me, and that was how it should be; I was a small part of a big picture, and my feelings had no business influencing said big picture.

28 posted on 01/05/2016 11:32:47 AM PST by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
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To: 2banana
You would think this would be an article about hard work, the value of a dollar, how important a good attitude is, etc.

It is! The problem is that the author took a long time to make her point, and her initial comments can easily be mistaken for sarcasm.

29 posted on 01/05/2016 11:35:50 AM PST by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
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To: EveningStar

30 posted on 01/05/2016 11:43:37 AM PST by simpson96
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To: rockrr

My oldest son worked with a few of these delicate creatures when he worked at a pizza hut. They just couldn’t handle the stress of being there on time, working their entire shift and God forbid customer complain, why it was workman’s comp time, counseling, grief therapy for some.

When he started I told him: if you need off a certain day you tell your boss a week in advance, you don’t call in unless you are living on the toilet or have the flu, you show up 5-10 mins. before you are supposed to be there, you show up ready to work, you keep your cell phone turned off and you do what your boss tells you too correct the first time so you don’t have to redo the job and if you get yelled at, suck it up and deal with it.

Because he showed up and worked he got lots and lots of hours to the point of where the old expression working a good horse to death became an issue. He wanted to leave in anger after one of the precious snow flakes called in at age 20 claiming to be having a “heart attack” and then disappearing for two days before the manager let him return to work for two days only to have yet another lame excuse from this delicate flower give him more time off.

When he left he gave them notice and worked a couple of days after the notice training yet another replacement worker. He worked there a couple of years and finally moved on to LEO work at a local university.


31 posted on 01/05/2016 11:54:29 AM PST by sarge83
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To: Resolute Conservative
Yup. I've a couple of relatives that had it, unquestionably, and probably could have used some help. It was a different time back then, though.

If you read the article, this girl is almost normal. She's spent a lifetime being a special snowflake - I'll guess that her parents are Northeast libs - BUT, she recognizes that wearing your victimhood on your sleeve is a handicap, not an asset.

Got to be tough to overcome a lifetime of victim conditioning. Lobsters in a pot, all of them - liberal friends, co-workers, family, will keep trying to drag her back in. She's young enough though, so that she might be ok. At least she recognized that the world doesn't owe her a thing, so that when she graduates with a mountain of debt, and a useless degree from a liberal arts college, she won't get smacked upside the head too hard.

Hopefully, she'll get a degree in "Find a Good Husband". With help, she's pragmatic and independent enough so that she might turn out OK.

32 posted on 01/05/2016 11:58:06 AM PST by wbill
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To: Opinionated Blowhard
"The most important thing was that the customer walks away satisfied, and it didn't matter what I had to go through to make that happen."

>> LOL. Oh boy. There are miles of comedy gold in that statement.

And maybe the germ of a plot for a racy movie.

33 posted on 01/05/2016 12:01:41 PM PST by Pearls Before Swine
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To: OpusatFR

I did read the article. Many folks on this thread obviously didn’t.


34 posted on 01/05/2016 12:10:40 PM PST by EveningStar
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To: Leaning Right

You get points for actually reading the article.


35 posted on 01/05/2016 12:14:40 PM PST by EveningStar
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To: AppyPappy
She has PTSD like I have washboard abs.

Show some mercy. You don't know what she's dealing with.

36 posted on 01/05/2016 12:14:45 PM PST by MeganC (The Republic of The United States of America: 7/4/1776 to 6/26/2015 R.I.P.)
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To: EveningStar
I did read the article. Many folks on this thread obviously didn’t.

I read it, too. Looks to me like she has some sort of issue she's dealing with and while her college wants to prepare her for a lifetime of 'recovery' and victimhood the reality is that the real world she got to see at McDonald's doesn't give a sh!t.

I think she has the makings of someone I'd be happy to have as a friend!

37 posted on 01/05/2016 12:20:03 PM PST by MeganC (The Republic of The United States of America: 7/4/1776 to 6/26/2015 R.I.P.)
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To: MeganC

She’s not dealing with it. She’s succumbing to it. She’s milking it for pity.

Combat infantrymen have PTSD, not college girls who had to work at McDonalds.


38 posted on 01/05/2016 12:21:01 PM PST by AppyPappy (If you really want to irritate someone, point out something obvious they are trying hard to ignore.)
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To: rockrr; AppyPappy; grobdriver; Post5203; TexasCajun; Opinionated Blowhard; Army Air Corps; wbill; ..
The author really does get it. From the final paragraph:
I'm grateful to have worked at McDonald's: It taught me how better to handle my anxiety and how to put myself last in the name of efficiency and a common goal. McDonald's strengthened my character, my work ethic, and expanded my capacity for resilience, valuable lessons which could not be learned in the "safe spaces" of Haverford's campus. We must remember that putting oneself first is the essence of privilege, and that, in order to grow, we must leave this selfish mindset behind.

39 posted on 01/05/2016 12:24:19 PM PST by EveningStar
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To: EveningStar
The author really does get it.

You're right. I jumped to a conclusion. I wish her well.

40 posted on 01/05/2016 12:27:32 PM PST by Quality_Not_Quantity (Democrat Drinking Game - Every time they mention a new social program, chug someone else's beer.)
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